Incycle 24

WELCOME

SPRI NG 2017

W E L C OM E It’s my pleasure to be able to introduce you to the latest edition of incycle magazine. From humble beginnings just over four years ago, as a relatively simple means of informing our customer base of all that was new here at Saddleback, it has now become a coveted part of our offering. We genuinely appreciate the feedback you have given us on the direction we have taken with it over the years and hope it continues to draw you closer to the exceptional people connected to our business and the wider company as a whole.

This issue we are very excited to include the first of what we hope will be a regular feature from Mr Troy Lee – a designer who needs no introduction and whose brand is quickly becoming a serious part of our business. This opening article gives a real insight into the vision and drive of this industry legend – as well as a steer for the future. We are also pleased to have what is now proving to be a regular contribution from Intense founder Jeff Steber and, completing a trio of American legends, Josh Poertner of Silca adds his unique insight into a look back at the first 100 years of the company.

But before you delve into this latest issue it would be remiss of me not to use this opportunity to thank everyone who came to our first Spring House Show here at Saddleback HQ back in March. We are firmly committed to using this purpose-built facility as often as possible for the development of our brands and to give added insight to our customer base. The House Show proved to be an excellent opportunity to present our elite Intense Racing downhill and enduro team to the press, as well as being the official launch of the hotly anticipated Rotor Hawk and Stages Dash.

Finally, on behalf of everyone here at Saddleback we would like to thank you for your continued support and hope that your focused efforts and investment result in a successful and rewarding season.

ANDY WIGMORE MANAGING DIRECTOR

03

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX BRENDAN FAIRCLOUGH ON THE SET OF

HIS NEW FILM DEATHGRIP. TURN TO PAGE 74 TO HEAR ABOUT THE WILD RIDE OF ITSÂ JOURNEY TO FRUITION

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

THE FUTURE OF CYCLING ARTIST: PAUL TYSALL TYSALL.MYPORTFOLIO.COM

CONTENTS THE FRONT

T H E F E AT U R E S

T H E BAC K

06 THE GALLERY

52 INTENSE RACING UK

100 MEDIA COVERAGE

FINDING THE GAP, SHOUTING IN THE WOODS, ROCKY ROLLING: OUR FAVOURITE RECENT CYCLING IMAGES

GLORY AND GOOD TIMES ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR SADDLEBACK’S NEW-FOR-2017 RACE OUTFIT

A QUICK LOOK AT THE PUBLICATIONS OUR PRODUCTS HAVE APPEARED IN OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS

18 NEWS

68 SIDI’S HEART AND SOLE

102 TEN QUESTIONS

SOLID 2017 FOUNDATIONS FOR TEAM SKY, DEATHGRIP PREMIERE, NEW INTENSE TEASER AND MORE

STU BOWERS VISITS A FIRM BLENDING MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH OLD-SCHOOL ATTITUDES

STAGES CYCLING’S AMY SHEPARD TALKS ROULEUR FANTASIES, MICROSOFT PAINT AND FIGHTING SEXISM

24 SPRING HOUSE SHOW

74 DAY OF THE DAWG

104 STAFF RIDE

OVER 300 PEOPLE ATTEND SADDLEBACK’S FIRST-EVER MID-SEASON BRAND SHOWCASE

RIC MCLAUGHLIN TRACES DEATHGRIP’S CATHARTIC PRODUCTION JOURNEY WITH BRENDAN FAIRCLOUGH

NICK COX ADMITS HE NEEDS TO GET OUT A BIT MORE ON HIS NEW INTENSE TRACER EXPERT

28 FRED WHITTON CHALLENGE 2017

78 ‘MAN, WHERE DO I START?’

106 INSTAGRAMS

ANOTHER YEAR OF BEAUTY AND PAIN AT THE GODFATHER OF UK SPORTIVES

THE LEGEND HIMSELF, TROY LEE, REMINISCES ABOUT WHERE HIS BRAND’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MTB BEGAN

A SELECTION OF FINE SQUARE PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SADDLEBACK’S BRAND PARTNERS

30 BESPOKED SHOW 2017

82 100 YEARS OF SILCA

107 DON’T MISS

ROSS GRIMMETT RECALLS GETTING THINGS SPOT-ON FOR CHRIS KING AT THE UK HANDMADE BIKE SHOW

OLI WOODMAN EXPLORES A CENTURY OF INNOVATION WITH CYCLING’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER TOOL BRAND

ROAD AND MOUNTAIN BIKING EVENTS WORTH BUILDING YOUR 2017 DIARY AROUND

34 FRESH PRODUCE

88 THE FUTURE’S GASOLINE

109 FINAL THOUGHT

HOT, NEW AND BEAUTIFUL BIKES AND GEAR FROM OUR ROAD AND MOUNTAIN BIKING PARTNERS

JEFF STEBER CASTS AN EYE OVER THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE INTENSE FACTORY RACING TEAM

MOUNTAIN BIKING IS STILL YOUNG, AND WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL, SAYS CRAIG ‘STIKMAN’ GLASPELL

42 THE OFFICE

94 DANNY AND THE RAPTOR

110 NEXT ISSUE

THE SADDLEBACK STAFF CREW SPILL THE BEANS

RIC MCLAUGHLIN LOOKS AT HOW DANNY HART’S

LOOKING AHEAD: LATE SUMMER, TIME TO REFLECT

ABOUT THEIR LATEST RIDES, KIT AND ADVENTURES

TRAINING REGIME CHANGE IS PAYING OFF

ON THE ACTION OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

50 BESTSELLERS

98 A MEMORABLE SKY

OUR TOP SELLING PRODUCTS FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2017

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HOW INCYCLE’S TEAM SKY AND CASTELLI LENTICULAR COVER BECAME A REALITY

SADDLEBACK LIMITED 12 APOLLO PARK, ARMSTRONG WAY, YATE, BRISTOL BS37 5AH ONLINE saddlebackb2b | facebook.com/saddleback | twitter/Saddleback_Ltd | instagram.com/Saddleback_Ltd EDITOR IN CHIEF / DESIGN NICK.COX@SADDLEBACK.CO.UK EDITOR TOM BALLARD SENIOR WRITER DANIEL OAKSHOTT CONTRIBUTORS MARTIN ASTLEY, STU BOWERS, CHARLES COLEMAN, DECLAN DEEHAN, RICKY FEATHERS, JESS GREAVES, CRAIG ‘STIKMAN’ GLASPELL, ROSS GRIMMETT, TROY LEE, STEVE LIGHT, ASH MATTHEWS, RIC MCLAUGHLIN, BEN POWELL, JEFF STEBER, ALEX TURNER, JAMES WELLMAN, OLI WOODMAN, GEORGE WISE, ADRIAN YATE PHOTOGRAPHERS BETTINI PHOTO, NICK COX, JACOB GIBBINS, NATHAN HUGHES, IAN LEAN, IAN MATTESON, JOBY SESSIONS, TDW SPORT PRINTED BY APPLE COLOUR, BRISTOL UK COVER ARTIST PAUL TYSALL

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MICHAL KWIATKOWSKI – TEAM SKY CLAIMING A STUNNING VICTORY AT MILAN-SAN REMO PHOTOGRAPH: TWD SPORT

LUCA SHAW – TROY LEE / ENVE ATHLETE WEARING THE 2017 CODE RANGE FROM TROY LEE PHOTOGRAPH: CRAIG ‘STIKMAN’ GLASPELL

BRETT TIPPIE / ENVE ATHLETE TESTING THE ENVE M6O PLUS IN VANCOUVER PHOTOGRAPH: IAN MATTESON

CHARLIE HARRISON – INTENSE FACTORY RACING UCI DOWNHILL ROUND 1 LOURDES, FRANCE PHOTOGRAPH: NATHAN HUGHES

FERNANDO GAVIRIA / SIDI ATHLETE WINNING STAGE 3 OF THE GIRO D’ITALIA PHOTOGRAPH: BETTINIPHOTO.NET

CASTELLI SUMMER 2017 RANGE CHASING THE SUN PHOTOGRAPH: CASTELLI

THE NEWS

TEAM SKY ROUNDUP STRONG PERFORMANCES BODE WELL WITH PLENTY MORE YET TO COME With the 2017 road race season well under way, we’ve already witnessed some great performances by Team Sky.

MILAN-SAN REMO 18 March 2017 – Michal Kwiatkowski TIRRENO-ADRIATICO

Some of the biggest events in the race calendar are yet to come, but what we have seen so far from the riders indicates some great racing, and wins, to look forward to… especially now they are wearing some of the most innovative cycling kit in the peloton, thanks to Castelli.

Stage 2, 9 March 2017 – Geraint Thomas

PARIS-NICE Overall, 5–12 March 2017 – Sergio Henao STRADE BIANCHE

4 March 2017 – Michal Kwiatkowski

COLOMBIAN ROAD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 26 February 2017 –

TEAM SKY 2017 VICTORIES (AT TIME OF PRINTING)

Sergio Henao

TOUR DE ROMANDIE Stage 3, 28 April 2017 – Elia Viviani

HERALD SUN TOUR Stage 4, 5 February 2017 – Ian Stannard HERALD SUN TOUR Stage 2, 2 February 2017 – Luke Rowe HERALD SUN TOUR Prologue, 1 February 2017 – Danny van Poppel

TOUR OF THE ALPS Overall 17–21 April 2017 – Geraint Thomas TOUR OF THE ALPS Stage 3, 19 April 2017 – Geraint Thomas

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THE NEWS

PRODUCT

ENVE NEW 3.4S IN STOCK Since introducing the original SES 3.4, Enve has implemented new design concepts across the SES lineup, resulting in a faster wheel and improved ride experience. The SES 3.4 features road tubeless compatibility, 25mm tyre optimisation, moulded carbon brake track technology, and optimised SES aero rim shaping to ensure maximum efficiencies for a shallow aero wheel.

Equally at home on mountains and in valleys, the SES 3.4 is the most versatile Smart Enve System aero wheel. See pages 45 and 49 for more details.

PRODUCT

NEW INTENSE COMING SOON ‘Where should we go?’ It’s always the burning question when organising a media camp for a new bike. It’s got to have the right trails to get the most out of the bike, something extra to make it about more than just the riding, be not too much of a pain to get to and, last but not least, include good nosh and beverages.

Punta Ala, on the west coast of Italy about an hour and a half from Pisa, was the destination for our latest covert operation – and Intense’s latest rejuvenation of a famous name (we can say no more for now). Easy travelling, apart from the crazy Italian taxi driver who looked like he was going into cardiac arrest when he saw all the bikes we had. Luckily he was dealing with a bunch of lads with a diploma in Tetris: “Rest easy Ricardo, we have it covered.”

We arrived at Punta Ala Trail Centre, which was situated right on the beach – so that was the something extra covered. Beach one side and trails the other? Perfect!

Day one we climbed under our own steam on lovely traversing trails that led us along the coast, with some spectacular views of the bay and some rather pricey-looking yachts to match it. This gave everyone a chance to get a feel for the bike and the setup, and get minds set ready for round two.

Day two was up lift assisted, a 20-minute drive by Toyota Hilux via some of the roughest uplift access you can imagine. The trails were fast, rough, rocky, steep, blind and, wait for it, dusty. Did they match the mystery bike? No complaints here…

RACE

While we’re on the subject of ‘no complaints’, the refreshments definitely deserve a mention. The staff, who were as friendly as you could wish for, served up some of the best pesto you’re ever likely to try. Factor in fresh pasta and some cold barley pops, and we were reluctant to leave – they can expect us back that’s for sure.

SHARKATTACKJACK Intense Factory Racing’s Jack Moir got the 2017 DH season off to a flyer by taking out Crankworx Rotorua on 1 April. Set on last year’s World Champs course in New Zealand’s most famous geothermal town, the 23-year-old Aussie – nicknamed ‘Shark Attack Jack’ – used his Intense M16C to take on the likes of Troy Brosnan, Loic Bruni, Eliot Jackson and Mick Hannah and came away victorious, beating the latter to the top spot by 2.43 seconds.

A huge thanks goes out to James McKnight for all his help, and stay tuned to Saddleback news for the details of the new Intense bike, which will be unveiled real soon…

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THE NEWS

METAL&WOOD

OFFICE

POINT OF SALE HEAD OF CREATIVE NICK COX GIVES TROY LEE THE SADDLEBACK TREATMENT With the introduction of Troy Lee Designs to our portfolio here at Saddleback last year, we really wanted to support dealers when the 2017 range first dropped. So with pen and sketchpad in hand I began to think about different concepts and ideas that would best display the product but also represent the brand and its values correctly. So pretty easy task then...

Header boards were, however, also essential to signpost people to the display. Sourcing sustainable wood from a local timber merchant, I designed a header board system and shelf system – enabling dealers to exhibit a whole range of different clothing and helmets. Accessories were the most difficult element to deal with, but once I utilised a bracket and some threaded rod we found a way of displaying a large number of accessories in a small space. Bike shops on the whole don’t have a great deal of space so getting as much product in a modest space was key – without making it look rammed full of stock.

As part of my job involves exhibition and shop display design I had some experience already, but this was going to be a different sort of undertaking. This time I wanted to design something modular that could be quickly installed but also easily modified to accommodate the changing trends within a bike shop.

I had previous experience using a scaffold pole and bracket system when renovating my house, and realised that this is an effective way of building a display unit with ease. With this in mind I began to research scaffolding and how it could be used in a shop scenario, having seen other high-street retailers put it to good use.

With the concept having been drawn, built, tested and tweaked, Troy himself signed off the finished product and so began a three-week road trip. Visiting stores all over the UK and supporting them with a fresh, modern point of sale system – different to what anybody else was offering – was really rewarding. This was just the start though: more and more dealers are scheduled to have their own TLD point of sale system fitted in the coming months as we continue to support the brand and our stockists.

Here at Saddleback we love to support local businesses wherever possible, and I soon found a nearby firm that could meet my needs and supply the point of sale system in kit form. I didn’t want to head into this rollout blind, so built a dummy display in the office to iron out any problems and to ensure my drawings were accurate and that I had accounted for everything.

So that’s it then, feet up, kettle on? Not quite – the self-inflicted burden I carry is that ‘it can always be better’. So with this in mind I am currently working on version 2.0, utilising lighting products, digital interaction, and supporting stands such as gondolas, helmet shelves and mannequin displays, to mention a few of the ways we will continue to develop and support.

With a few tweaks and bit of cutting and shaving, our point of sale system was beginning to take shape and – with its TLD starburst backdrop – to look like an extension of the brand and its identity.

If you’re a Troy Lee dealer or would like to become one, and require point of sale, then please contact your Saddleback area manager for more information.

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THE NEWS

STOCK

STAGES DASH NOW AVAILABLE EVENT

Stages Power meters have been genuinely game-changing tools for cyclists looking to take their performance to the next level.

But with the release of the Stages Dash head unit and Stages Link software, the brand is now offering an incredibly potent, complete performance ecosystem.

2017FORT WILLIAM The sun is finally starting to make more of an appearance and June is pretty much here, which can only mean one thing. Yes, Fort William DH is coming, probably the favourite event we attend on our ever busy calendar. Fast riding, fun times, hot sun (sometimes), midges, crashes, new tech, big wheels, nights out, cheering, sore throats, long drives, service stations, free giveaways, falling over on the mountain, cable cars, Scottish cuisine and of course Scottish drink are all on the menu… and we can’t wait! Make sure you stop by to check Troy Lee, Enve, Chris King and Intense, but most importantly get cheering for our Intense UK Race team and the Intense Factory Race Team.

Stages Dash is the most powerful and personalised training tool in cycling. Whether you want to just take it out of the box and ride, or you want to dial in every aspect, Dash was designed to transform cycling data into increased performance for every rider through a smart, simple and powerful experience.

We are pleased to announce that the Dash is in stock and available now from the Saddleback website or your nearest dealer.

FILM EVENT

DEATHGRIPPREMIERE

HOUSESHOW

Growing up, many of us watched Chainsmoke and Chainsmoke 2, after which we’d go and ride, trying to emulate riders like Shaun Palmer, Fuzzy Hall and Randy Lawrence. Filmmaking has come along way since those iconic titles were created and although there have been many great ones there have been few true heirs to the Chainsmokes. So it was with bellies full of anticipation we set off to the premiere of Brendan Fairclough and Clay Porter’s Deathgrip.

While it may seem a long way out now, preparations are underway for the Saddleback House Show on 12, 13, and 14 September 2017. Following on from the ripping success of the last event, we are naturally determined to go even bigger and better this time.

No more than five minutes into the film, I felt like a kid again, desperate to get out on my bike and attempt stuff I really had no skill to do. The film stirred up exactly the emotions that the Chainsmoke films did back then, and I felt like I was back in my parents’ living room feeding the VHS with bike movies – albeit I was now looking at far higher image quality. Man, what a film – be sure to check it out (it’s going live on Apple iTunes as incycle goes to press), you certainly won’t be disappointed! Nick Cox

As is to be expected from the House Shows, there will be new and exciting product to get hands-on with, a host of interesting seminars from brands and athletes and – perhaps most importantly – a wealth of delicious food and drink for you to enjoy.

Keep an eye out for more information and invitations very shortly.

FOR MORE NEWS HEAD OVER TO WWW.SADDLEBACK.CO.UK

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THE NEWS

HANDBUILTGLORIES RICKY FEATHER, THE FOUNDER OF YORKSHIRE’S FEATHER CYCLES, LOOKS BACK ON AN INCREDIBLE EIGHT YEARS AND REVELS IN SOME MUTUAL ADMIRATION WITH CHRIS KING Eight years ago I flew to New York, quitting my job first because I didn’t have holidays to cover the month I planned to spend out there. I didn’t know what I’d do when I got home – I was going to be moving to (old) York, but had no job lined up. With no real qualifications, I knew I would struggle to find anything other than a low-paid, dead-end job in a factory, MIG-welding trailers or sheet metal. I also knew that I 100% didn’t want to go back to that.

things more realistic for potential customers as well as my own sanity.

(Three years of incoming work sounds great, but in reality it’s an unmanageable weight on the shoulders for a one-man shop.) I try not to get consumed by other ideas and ventures, and concentrate on improving the bikes I build rather than growing the business.

Style to the max During the eight years since I went to New York, the handbuilt bike industry has grown an unimaginable amount, mainly due to the internet, but there are a certain few people who have made a big difference. Phil and Tessa from Bespoked: The UK Handbuilt Bike Show (see page 30) are two such people – I can’t thank them enough for the time and work they have put into their baby. The original show was pushed back multiple times after not being able to fill slots in a small exhibition space. It’s hard to imagine that really happened when you turn up to Bespoked these days, which leaves Brunel’s Old Station building in central Bristol overflowing with professional international builders, hobbyists and visitors – more than 5,000 over its two days.

I had, however, recently picked up a magazine called COG, which my flatmate had been sent by a friend in Australia. I was completely baffled by the fixed-gear thing portrayed within and I daren’t imagine the faces I must initially have been pulling as I looked at photos of hipsters pulling skids. I was a BMXer through and through. We were tough guys, or stupid ones, depending on how you look at it, hurling ourselves off big stuff with no helmets on and venturing into rough council estates just to throw ourselves down a staircase or ride a brick bank. This stuff looked like child’s play.

But one thing had caught my eye: an interview with a young man called Jordan Hufnagel. He was building frames; fabricating them from scratch using steel as his proprietary material. I was captivated, and probably read that article 10 times right off the bat. It turned out later that Jordan was a BMXer too and had mutual friends from the days he had spent living in Austin. These eight pages, from a magazine I’m pretty sure only lasted a dozen or so issues, were the catalyst to what would become my career at a time when all my friends were finishing university and I was still wondering where my life was going.

The day I opened it was probably the luckiest of my life.

This year was my fifth time in attendance, and my first in three years.

I was super excited about every aspect – meeting old friends, seeing what new builders are up to and speaking with the ever-enthusiastic public. I couldn’t wait to show my latest work, and coincidentally had access to six of my personal favourite bikes I have built to date.

One of these bikes was Broady [Matthew Broadbent of Broadbent Cycle Enginering]’s Disc Road Bike with a paint scheme based on the 1995 Nike Air Max, trainer of choice for the ever-classy 90s UK scallywag on the estate I grew up on. Adorned in Chris King and Enve parts, this build caught the eye of Chris himself as well as Jay Sycip as a choice for the ‘Chris King Award’. There were some stunning bikes to choose from but in the end, Broady’s came top of the list.

Days of inspiration The trip to NYC was what really set the idea of building bikes in my head. I was staying in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Aside from the numbers of steel bikes lining the streets and locked to every lamppost and fence, anyone who has ever been to Williamsburg will know about the abundance of small independent businesses along Bedford Avenue and the side streets running away from it.

I have been a huge fan and admirer of Chris King parts since I was a 14-year-old at the skatepark, staring at the headset of the odd BMX that would turn up with what seemed like functional jewellery pressed into the head tube. Those days could easily be a part of what inspired me to build 99% of my customers bikes using at least a Chris King headset (and that’s without getting onto the stories I’ve heard about people still using the same Chris King headset they had in their early 90s mountain bike). In my eyes Chris and Jay are just about peerless in this industry, and to receive recognition from them for using their bike parts on my own creations leaves me with almost indescribable gratitude.

Spending a whole month there made me see just how realistic having your own business as a young person really was. I spent nearly the entire time cruising around on my BMX getting more inspired as the days went by. By about day 14, I knew that going home and actively looking for a job I really didn’t care about, with a boss who didn’t care about anything but his own back pocket, was no longer an option. The last week there some friends came out to visit – they’re an inspirational couple who embody the essence of the entrepreneur and their enthusiasm, as well as that of my girlfriend at the time for my crazy idea of building frames really made me believe it was a genuine possibility.

The last eight years have been incredible. I hope collectively we can keep growing the handbuilt bicycle’s reputation – and chipping away at what has become a majority East Asia export industry. By collectively I mean everyone from the hobbyists to the show organisers and framebuilding schools, to the press and bloggers to the public, the parts manufacturers to the professional frame builders and tube manufacturers. It’s a tough game and without everyone pulling together it’s not far from being an unsustainable one. Luckily most people I’ve met want to be in this together, and with such a positive group of individuals I can only see the industry going in the right direction. I for one am hugely excited to see what the future holds.

Since then, things have come a long way – from starting off with a bench, a set of files and an oxy-acetylene torch, to having a near-three-year waiting list and an amateur road racing team, to co-writing, producing and publishing a book with Saffron Frameworks’ Matthew Sowter.

These days I try and stick to around a six-to-nine-month pipeline, making

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THE NEWS

JOE BREEDEN ON THE TOP SECTION AT FORT WILLIAM FOR THE BDS ROUND 2

RACING

INTENSE RACING UK SUCCESS JOE BREEDEN

PORTUGAL CUP RD2 1ST PORTUGAL CUP RD3 2ND BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD1 1ST UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP RD1 6TH BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD2 2ND

SAM FLOCKHART

NORTHERN ENDURO HAMSTERLEY 6TH SES RD1 7TH BRITISH CHAMPS 36TH EWS RD3 103RD

JESS GREAVES

CHARLIE HATTON

FOD MINI DH 1ST PORTUGAL CUP RD2 20TH PORTUGAL CUP RD3 11TH BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD1 5TH UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP RD1 17TH BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD2 11TH

AJAY JONES

MINI ENDURO BPW 3RD WGE CWM CARN 3RD BRITISH CHAMPS 6TH EWS RD3 80TH

OLI MORRIS

PORTUGAL CUP RD2 31ST PORTUGAL CUP RD3 23RD BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD1 19TH DH LOSINJ 6TH BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD2 27TH

ANDREW TITLEY

BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD1 1ST BRITISH CHAMPS 3RD EWS RD3 7TH

BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD1 10TH PEARCE CYCLES RD1 3RD BRITISH DOWNHILL SERIES RD2 9TH FOR MORE NEWS HEAD OVER TO WWW.SADDLEBACK.CO.UK

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EVENTS

SPRING HOUSE SHOW Over 300 visitors attend Saddleback’s first-ever mid-season House Show

After weeks of hard work, the stage is finally set. Saddleback HQ is festooned in just about every form of cycling treasure the company will distribute in 2017. Wood is being thrown into the pizza oven, treacle-like espressos are piping out of machines – all that remains to do is to open the doors to hundreds of dealers over four days in Bristol.

Right by the front door, one of the undisputed stars of the show is the all-new Troy Lee Designs range.

After years of work, the Corona, CA touchstone of mountain bike cool has finally made an entrance in the English South West. As you’d expect the range bristles with poppy neons and retina-searing patterns, but look closer and there’s a healthy dollop of restraint present too. Troy and his team definitely seem to have realised that plenty of customers prefer stealthier attire these days – and have duly obliged them.

There is of course more to one of mountain biking’s most iconic brands than just colour though – the amount of tech poured into its garments is staggering. The Skyline Air jerseys with their ultra lightweight construction, and the D30-equipped Raid pads, prove that the Cali cartel is keen to push build quality and rider safety this year. Troy Lee’s latest range of helmets, including the all-new A2, draws a lot of attention too. Again, there’s a real mix of colours and specs for 2017 including MIPS protection across the model range. Adding a dash of glamour, sponsored pro riders Brendan Fairclough and Olly Wilkins call in to drop off a custom TLD painted D3 full-face and to talk all things Deathgrip with the press.

High in fibre Once everyone has fondled the Troy Lee Designs kit to their hearts’ content, it’s on to the carbon fibre goodness of Enve. The high-end sultriness of matte carbon continues to grow and there’s now a full complement of wheel sizes and rim widths to suit everyone – right up to the latest en vogue 27.5+ sizes. Enve also produces an interesting range of bars and stems, as raced by the likes of the Santa Cruz Syndicate on the UCI World Cup circuit.

On the opposite wall meanwhile, a relatively new brand for Saddleback – Stages Cycling – has set out its stall. Stages’ clever tech sees all the power meter gubbins neatly manufactured into a non-drive side crank arm that you simply bolt into place. Reigning UCI downhill world champion Danny Hart has just started working with the company (see page 94 for an in-depth chat with him) and is in attendance to help promote Stages’ mountain biking presence.

Speaking of presence, Castelli is perhaps the only brand in attendance capable of competing with Troy Lee Designs in terms of sheer colour – and has an insanely extensive range featuring everything from commuter-friendly ride wear to a Nando’s-branded skinsuit. This year looks to find Castelli’s march into just about every area of road cycling continuing apace, aided no doubt by its continued sponsorship of Team Sky. Longtime brand collaborator David Millar rolls up for a Q&A session with the assembled dealers – and to show off his latest Chpt./// capsule collection.

24

EVENTS

25

EVENTS

Nestled beside Castelli is another Italian cycling institution – Sidi (see page 68 for an interview with founder Dino Signori). Its vast range of clipless shoes is truly a thing to behold, and it can take a while for your eyes to adjust to the myriad colours and smorgasbord of features present. Indeed, the only thing more impressive than Sidi shoes’ extremely light weight is the sheer amount of detail the brand seems to be able to cram on to each and every item.

Component makers Rotor and Chris King are also present and correct, offering both a fresh take on cycling tech and a time-honoured commitment to craftsmanship. The trademark ‘angry bee’ whirr of a King freehub frequently rises above the hubbub as bike fans take the opportunity to indulge themselves.

The big reveal By now it’s not just hubs but heads that are spinning thanks to the sheer amount of new kit on display – but there’s enough time to grab a coffee from the in-house baristas before a wander into the giant warehouse and the big reveal: Intense Cycles 2017.

The vast array of bikes hanging from the stands and clinging to the sides of the breeze block walls are testament to the commitment Saddleback has made to one of mountain biking’s truly iconic brands.

Jeff Steber’s company essentially created the downhill bike in the 1990s, with many big-name pros running (pretty obviously) rebadged Intense M1s in preference to their own sponsors’ equipment for a number of years.

But spearheaded by bikes like the all-new Tracer, the brand is keen to make its presence fully felt once again. Cesar Rojo’s pioneering talent for geometry and kinematics are now married to Steber’s fastidious attention to detail and penchant for pushing boundaries.

The House Show also proves the perfect place to officially launch the all-new Intense Factory Racing UK mountain bike team to the press. Under the stewardship of Olly Morris and legendary UK racer Andrew Titley they’ll be campaigning Saddleback-distributed machinery all over the world in 2017, and team members are on hand throughout the week to chat to dealers and show off their race bikes.

Rare beauties Also in the main hall are the handmade jewels of Alchemy Bikes. With the brand offering a compact range across road and mountain, Alchemy frames are objects of rare beauty, prized for their intricacies and build quality. Alongside the brash SoCal moto cool of Intense they cut a quieter, perhaps more mature silhouette.

Aside from the bikes sit displays designed to deliver a visual example of the kind of presence Saddleback’s brands can bring to a retailer. For the addicts there’s also one final chance to worship at the altar of arabica, in the form of a beautiful old Citroën Type H van converted into a mobile purveyor of coffee and cake.

Over the four days of the show, some 300 people turn out to feast their eyes on more than 500 products, all shimmering under the spotlights and ready for launch into shops. The sheer scope and wealth of merch on offer contrasts with the relatively compact number of brands. It’s clear from the 2017 House Show that Saddleback’s unwavering focus remains on high quality ranges offering maximum performance to the consumer, whatever they may ride.

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EVENTS

27

EVENTS

THE FRED WHITTON CHALLENGE 2017 Drink in the natural beauty and cycling pain of the godfather of UK sportives

Sculpted by volcanic eruptions and freezing glacial actions, the Lake District’s combination of melted stone thrust violently skywards and deeply clawed valley tracts provides a uniquely arresting landscape. The sharp, weathered bleakness of the craggy peaks vie for attention with the eerily still bodies of water from which the park gets its name. It’s a hard, harsh land; a compelling relationship between cruelty and beauty with majestic highs and plunging lows that are all too familiar to riders of the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge.

While many events have attempted to emulate the Fred’s vital statistics and claim dominance as the UK’s toughest ride, it’s the way in which this godfather of sportives doles out its more than 3,200m of climbing throughout the stunning national park playground that makes it incomparably nasty to legs and spirit alike.

Kirkstone. Matterdale. Honister. Newlands. Whinlatter. Cold Fell. Hardknott. Wrynose. Naming each of these climbs is enough to send a frisson of fear down the spine of cyclists in the know; placing them one after another over 178km is nothing short of sadistic.

In spite of this fact, or perhaps because of it, riders of all ages, sizes and abilities have been drawn inexorably to the event for the last 18 years. Thousands enter the ballot in the hopes of securing the chance to take on a vampire-toothed profile of horrifying gradients that mirrors their own staccato heartbeats as they push frames, chains, legs and lungs beyond endurance. Stories of air ambulance call-outs, delaminated wheels and pushing up 20% gradients seem to do nothing to dent the event’s enduring popularity.

2017 was no exception to the lactic-inducing formula as over 2,000 hardy souls took on the now historic route. Whether in it for a fast time, returning to take care of unfinished business, collecting for charity or just hoping to get around, every rider was united in suffering on 7 May. For the second year in a row, the weather was uncharacteristically fair; the driving rain so often dogging riders and threatening an early exit absent once more in favour of a warming sun that soon dispersed the fluffy grey clouds cascading over the hilltops.

What was present and correct were the grimaces of pain, grunts of exertion and thousand-yard-stares as riders’ survival instincts took hold. But as always, alongside the mass torment rose a palpable sense of camaraderie that urged everyone to push down on the pedals when legs shook, muscles cramped and sweat rolled. Moods soar in unison as every climb crested reveals another living snapshot of the Lake District’s magnificence, yet drop as quickly as the next descent can lead you to the foot of another legbreaker. Here that sense of fellowship in mutual anguish builds anew.

For the first time ever, Hardknott and Wrynose passes were closed to traffic, a small consolation to the hundreds of riders weaving unsteadily up the narrow strips of one-in-five tarmac and the hundreds more beaten into submission and in for a long walk.

All this is a testament to the character of the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge. It’s an event that truly tests the limits of body and mind. Those who don’t crack are remade stronger, safe in the knowledge that they’ve achieved something remarkable.

Lurk by the finish line and you’ll see scattered, drained bodies, bent but not quite broken. And while the trauma is still fresh, an atmosphere of exhausted elation bubbles as pies are devoured, stories told and excited whispers circulate about returning for more cruelty and beauty next year.

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BESPOKED SHOW 2017 Ross Grimmett recalls the challenge of getting things spot-on for Chris King at the UK handmade bike show

Sitting at my desk writing this, February seems both long ago and yet no time at all. That month I was privileged to have opportunity to visit the Chris King factory in Portland Oregon, and one point that was high on the agenda was to nail down our combined plan for the wonderful Bespoked bike show. Tessa and Phil Taylor organise this incredible gathering and exhibition in Bristol, a little over 10 miles from Saddleback’s office.

I have attended almost every show, and in 2016 Saddleback worked with Phil to sponsor and run a competition in which frame builders had access to Enve components for their builds, with the completed bikes judged by the visiting public. Speaking with Phil last year we decided Saddleback would take a booth at the 2017 show, and that we would bring King’s products and its frame brand Cielo to the show, and have Silca tools on display to be able to demonstrate King hardware’s easy-strip-down qualities.

Wow factor So on a cold February morning, I clambered out of a cab and dashed against the freezing wind to open an average-looking door on the side of a large industrial unit in Portland’s Northwest district – leading straight into the busy sales office of Chris King. A quick look around at screens and paperwork and I spotted several orders with UK shipping documents and Saddleback’s name in among the lines of text.

I smiled, wondering if I would beat some of these packages back to our office.

After a brief tour and catch-up with the King team, it was down to business around the meeting table, on which there were a few nondescript boxes and a cluster of objects wrapped in brown paper. The boxes were opened with a flash of a pocket knife, and the paper torn away to reveal sample parts anodised in all-new colourways and finishes. “So, what do you think?” I was asked. I am pretty sure all I said in response was, “Wow”.

Seeing the new matte finishes in the flesh was a treat, and the new colours were right on target. As I handled the slate grey, it did indeed look like an evolution of my favourite XTR colouring from days gone by. Here was where we started to work out how to get these parts over to the UK, and what the booth was to look like, for Bespoked setup day on 6 April.

Down to work Once back in the UK, the team charged with bringing the Bespoked project together set to work. Our creative guys designed some wonderful print ads to run in the show guides and promotional material Phil was going to be putting out prior to the event.

Multiple brainstorms followed and sketches were knocked up, and after a call from Phil to explain that an exhibitor had dropped out, we eagerly accepted an invitation to double our booth space. Our mocked-up booth ideas suddenly got a whole lot larger. All the while, the guys in Portland were getting their parts of the puzzle ready too.

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Having used scaffold tubing in many of our shop-fits, to display Troy Lee clothing in our dealers’ stores, it was decided this would provide our booth’s framework – a fitting chassis from which to hang a rainbow display of King hubs. With Mr King himself, and Jay Scycip the Cielo design manager, heading over to the UK for a week – and Bespoked square in the middle of their visit – it could be said there was some pressure to make things look just right for our guests.

The 6x3m booth slowly took shape in a corner of Saddleback’s main warehouse, so we could turn our sketches into something solid. Once we were happy with the layout, and with the printed backdrop installed, we felt we had something quite special to present to the public on opening day of the show – and something our visiting guests would be proud to stand in.

Nailed it Once our van was unloaded into the Brunel’s Old Engine Shed at Bristol’s Temple Meads station, it was a simple task of bolting together our booth. While construction was underway Chris and Jay were out with our sales reps visiting some dealers – just as the public had to, they would also have to wait until opening day to see it. We met the King guys for breakfast near their hotel, and after coffee and cake we walked into the show hall. It was great to see their faces as they saw for the first time the booth we’d be based out of the next two and a half days. It’s safe to say our creative team nailed it.

They built a great counter-cum-bar-area to show off the three new matte finishes and colours, and as somewhere for Chris to hold court and wow visitors with the speed and ease with which his legendary rear hubs come apart. We also chose to show four key Cielo frame models, all built up with aspirational components from Saddleback’s portfolio of brands. What the King guys had been working on back in Portland for the show were some beautiful awards, to be presented to three standout builds on display.

After much deliberation, they decided on the builders that had impressed them most, and Phil took away the sealed envelope with the names inside.

Winner of the King award was Ricky Feather (see page 22), who won the cutaway King rear hub in the new slate grey colour mounted on a plinth of Welsh slate. The two other standouts of the show were a bike built by Timmy Rowan from Rowan Frameworks and another created by Adeline O’Moreau of Mercredi Bikes. Chris and Jay were on the booth with us the whole show, and between us we spoke with hundreds of visitors – and almost all the numerous exhibitors. On the Sunday afternoon of the show, Chris gave a talk in the lecture area. He spoke openly of how he felt that Bespoked hit all aspects of what a show should be – the interest and knowledge of the visitors to the show, and the quality of the UK handmade scene. Roll on Bespoked 2018 (pun fully intended).

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FRESH PRODUCE

ENVE SES 3.4 WHEELSET With road tubeless compatibility, designed for 25mm rubber, and boasting an incredibly efficient shallow aero design, Enve’s 3.4 hoops are the ultimate wheelset for climbing in the mountains – yet they also offer an aero advantage on flat terrain. The new moulded-in carbon brake track technology offers near-equal wet and dry weather performance, and requires 30% less level force than with the track it replaces in order to achieve the same stopping power. The 3.4 wheels are available now in rim-brake or disc-brake options and as a rim-only or complete build.

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FRESH PRODUCE

CHRIS KING NEW COLOURS As if the range of Chris King products weren’t already enough of an enticing trove of beautiful treasures, the brand has now introduced three eye-catching new colours to the range. Added to the already extensive list of colours are the new matte Emerald, Slate and Jet options. Matte Emerald is only a limited-edition run for the moment – so moving fast on these is essential – but the Jet and Slate options have been fully introduced to the range. While you’re at it, it’s also worth keeping an eye out for the new laser-etched Chris King logo.

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FRESH PRODUCE

TROY LEE DESIGNS ACE GLOVE 2.0 For 2017 Troy Lee Designs’ Ace glove has seen some subtle updates that take a riders’ favourite onwards to a new level of performance. The Ace is a minimalist’s glove, for those who don’t like bulky protection or insulation – it’s a glove for riders who don’t like gloves. The 2017 model features an improved palm, now with seamless construction and fully vented fabric, touchscreen-compatible fingers and a streamlined seamless cuff. The Ace glove is perfect in it’s simplicity – fantastic form, great fit and classic looks make this an enduring Saddleback favourite.

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FRESH PRODUCE

SILCA SUPERPISTA PUMP In 1989 Silca introduced the SuperPista floor pump, which (not for the first time, for the legendary brand) revolutionised the concept of what a floor pump should be. Twenty-eight years later, the SuperPista is still a key part of the Silca range and is a true testament to the firm’s values (turn to page 82 for our feature looking back at 100 years of Silca). The overall build quality is incredibly high, the handle is ergonomically designed, the pressure gauge is 50% more precise than anything else out there, and the SuperPista is covered by the Silca Lifetime Warranty – a nice touch for ultimate peace of mind.

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FRESH PRODUCE

SIDI SHOT LIMITED EDITION Those who follow the pro peloton will be no stranger to the Shot road shoe from Sidi (see page 68 for an interview with company founder Dino Signori), which has been on the feet of a number of riders as they’ve taken the top spot on the podium this season. With the aerodynamic, centrally located Double Tecno 3 Push System, the Shots already stand out from the crowd – however, the limited-edition black-on-black colourway really takes things to the next level. The Black Shots are available now but on a limited run only – so get cracking if you fancy a pair.

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FRESH PRODUCE

STAGES CAMPAGNOLO Two years in the making, the Stages Cycling Campagnolo cranks have finally been perfected and are available now. The left-hand crank is fitted with the Stages Power meter, yet this has very little impact on the all-important Italian aesthetics. The complex design of the carbon Campagnolo cranks threw up some challenges, but a carefully adapted strain gauge has ensured an accuracy of ¹ 2% is maintained. The Campagnolo Chorus, Record and Super Record non-drive crank arms are available now.

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FRESH PRODUCE

CIELO ROAD RACER DISC Handmade and hand painted to your specification in-house at the Cielo branch of the Chris King factory in Portland, USA – and designed for speed with zero compromise on stopping power – the Road Racer Disc is a race machine to not be underestimated. Supreme power transfer comes courtesy of a Chris King T47 threaded bottom bracket, incredible handling is thanks to an oversized head tube, and stiff chainstays allow for quick and responsive acceleration. Get in touch with Saddleback for more information on how to order one.

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FRESH PRODUCE

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THE OFFICE

TO P F I V E THIS ISSUE OUR ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER, ADRIAN YATE, WAXES LYRICAL ABOUT HIS TOP FIVE FAVOURITE CASTELLI ITEMS

1

IDRO JACKET

With the latest tech from Gore-Tex, the Idro packs down super small, offers unbeatable rain protection and breathability and has permanent beading – it’s simply the best waterproof ever.

2

3

I’m a massive fan of threequarter length bottoms and these are the best available offering warmth, breathability and great comfort with no behind-theknee bunching.

Highly wicking thanks to a 3D mesh fabric and supremely comfortable, this is a four season musthave, now available in stylish Chpt. /// graphics.

SORPASSO 3/4 BIB KNICKERS

PRO MESH / 1.81 SLEEVELESS BASE LAYER

4

PERFETTO LIGHT SHORT SLEEVE JERSEY The

5

TOE THINGIES

The name makes you perfect spring smile from the jersey – it’s outset – and lighter and these little better fitted neoprene than the iconic ‘thingies’ save Gabba but your toes and with enough shoes from protection cold damp against chilly starts without headwinds and impacting on spring showers. your pedalling.

STAFF COLUMN

HITTING THE BIG COUNTRY TAKING FRESH TROY LEE PRODUCT TO BRITISH COLUMBIA IS A PREDICTABLE PLEASURE

With the arrival of the 2017 Troy Lee Designs range a lot of my time recently has been focused on managing a successful launch for the brand. I’ve been extremely pleased with how the brand has been received by both public and dealers – the 2017 range has some incredible products, marking a great start to a promising relationship with Troy Lee Designs.

Another focus for me has been Intense Racing UK, our very own mountain bike race team. The outfit have done their first few races and, wow, did we pick the right riders!

The first BDS of the year saw young Charlie Hatton race his first Elite national race – he finished fifth and landed on the podium along with huge names such as Danny Hart and Gee Atherton. Young Joe Breeden smoked the Junior field with a time that would have placed him sixth in Elite, and Andrew Titley won the Vets category.

I couldn’t have asked for a better first outing for the team, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. Intense Racing UK has jumped right up there as one of the best teams in the UK and we are getting noticed and promoting the great brands that have supported this team, namely Intense, Troy Lee Designs, Enve, Rotor and Silca. Running a team is a lot of work but moments like that make it all worthwhile.

On the bike I was lucky enough to get a couple of weeks early season riding in British Columbia. My Troy Lee A2 landed in my hands the day I left the office so I’ve now had a solid few weeks riding with this new flagship trail lid – and boy am I impressed.

I’ve been using an A1 for several years now and the A2 retains its predecessor’s fantastic feel but has vastly improved airflow, plus a cleaner fit with the straps sitting very neatly along the cheek and jawbones – and of course the added security of MIPS and the EPP/EPS in-mould means my head is safer than ever. A nice bonus is that the A2 integrates with glasses better than the A1, allowing a comfortable, rattle-free fit. Needless to say, the riding in BC was incredible and it was great to brush off the cobwebs of a long winter as a new father and get some miles (up and down) in to the legs. Martin Astley

STAFF COLUMN

MIXING IT UP DON’T LET YOURSELF GET STUCK IN JUST ONE DISCIPLINE – ADDING SOME VARIETY WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AT ALL FLAVOURS OF CYCLING

If you’re fast, you’re fast. I am fortunate enough to be able to ride most cycling disciplines, be it on or off-road, for fun or for racing. It is quite common that I’ll spend a Saturday riding mountain bikes with a full-face and knee pads using a van and trailer to get up hills, and a Sunday with shaved legs exposed riding along the Frome bypass at 30mph.

Combining cycling disciplines makes you a faster, more rounded rider. Before certain cyclocross races, I quite like to take the jump bike from the basement, load it into the Landy and drive on up to my local pump track to mix it with the kids. Not only is this great fun; it teaches me to pump compressions and not pedal through them, meaning when something similar pops up on a cyclocross course I’m not wasting energy trying to pedal but am actually carrying my speed through, with energy conserved to power it out of the next corner.

A simple commute to work on the road bike pays dividends whenever I get onto the mountain bike. The fitness and stamina gained from this means that you’re never left without energy. Any uplift day or ride with your mates are suddenly not about fitness, but more your technical ability. Being able to take fitness out of the equation means you can solely focus on your technique to become a better rider and learn new skills.

All styles of cycling can be beneficial to one another, and mixing up your riding helps to keep you enthused and fast. So someone riding a road bike isn’t necessarily a ‘roadie’, and to be good at dodging trees on the mountain bike you don’t have to be riding one all the time. Try mixing things up and riding something you wouldn’t usually, and you’ll be surprised at how the disciplines can help each other out. Charles Coleman

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THE OFFICE

STA FF P ICKS

THEOVALOPTION JAMES WELLMAN SOUTH WEST AREA MANAGER ROTOR Q RINGS £54 - £189

BEFORE I STARTED AT SADDLEBACK I HAD ALWAYS USED A STANDARD CHAINRING ON MOUNTAIN BIKE AND ROAD BIKES. I always thought that oval chainrings were a bit of a gimmick and would never really catch on. But – like many cyclists – when I saw Chris Froome riding the Tour de France a few years ago using an oval ring I started to wonder anew just how good they are, and whether they really could make any difference to my riding.

I have also briefly used the rings on a demo mountain bike, and found that when climbing steep slippery hills they allow for constant rear-wheel grip with no spinning or sudden loss of traction – because the Q-Ring delivers constant power with a single revolution. And moving from function to form, I also think that a Q-Ring makes your bike look a little more aggressive and improves its overall aesthetic.

For the last few months I have been using a set of Q-Rings on my road bike and I have to admit to being a convert – I absolutely love them. They have definitely helped to improve my pedalling technique and I find that they also eliminate the flat spot when sprinting or attacking a short sharp climb.

I am looking forward to taking part in some time trials over the next few months and experimenting with a few different Q-Rings – I might even be brave enough to get a 55 on the outer.

The great thing about Rotor Q-Rings is that they cover a range of different cycling disciplines and will, in my opinion, definitely complement and enhance your riding experience. With a 30-day money-back guarantee also being offered to customers, you’ve really nothing to lose by trying them out. James Wellman

I haven’t yet fine tuned the ring and have only used them on the standard setting, but am looking forward to experimenting with the position to – hopefully – make me even smoother on the bike.

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THE OFFICE

TECH TIP S

BEDDING IN KING HUBS ROSS GRIMMETT SENIOR MECHANIC WORKSHOP’S BEST FRIEND DIFFICULTY LEVEL MEDIUM

Just as when you purchase a new bike it is always advisable to have a first service, to adjust everything that will have settled in the early days of the bikes working life, the same is true of Chris King hubs.

Before even fitting a new Chris King hub, the very first thing to do is register your purchase on the King website. This will assist in expediting a response to any queries you may have in the future. It also serves as a way of recording the unique serial numbers of the hubs, for future identification purposes with regards to household insurance claims or lost baggage.

King hub shell bearings are pressed into the hub shell and are separated from metal-to-metal contact by a white sealing disc made from a type of plastic. This seal effectively closes off the back side of the bearing, but it also gives the bearing something to seat against.

There are also multiple O-rings used, along with the seals in each angular contact bearing, that sit under the bearing’s snap ring. Each of the aforementioned components are marginally compressible, and coupled with the hub flanges being pulled outward under spoke tension, and the forces the rider imparts into their bike, this permits a degree of initial settling.

The manual that comes with each hub has a highlighted section called ‘Break-in’, which details the best way to look after new hubs, while the ‘Maintenance’ section goes into detail about how to adjust the hubs themselves. (Do not continue to ride any Chris King hub, if play can be felt in the hub.)

“Once your new hub is placed in service, some settling may occur.

“Check adjustment by attaching wheel into dropouts.

Ride for 5-10 minutes, check for any play or binding, and readjust if necessary.

“Recheck after the first 1-5 hours of riding.

Check cassette lock ring on rear hubs after the first 20 hours of use, and tighten if necessary.

“Continue monitoring for the first 60 hours of use.

During the first 60 hours of use, above average amounts of drag may be noticed.

“This is normal as the seals break in, and will soon diminish.”

REAR ROAD HUB

STAFF COLUMN

BABY ON BOARD Parenthood dictates a bit of a recalibration when it comes to time spent in the saddle – but it needn’t mean the end of the fun times

The last few months have involved far less time in the saddle than I would have liked, but I’m pinning that down to prioritising more time with my family over eveything else. As my daughter has recently turned one, this has meant I’ve been able to equip my bike with a Hamax child seat and trade in the mixed-terrain adventures for some slightly gentler family bike rides around Bristol.

As a new dad and cyclist, I was somewhat concerned the little one would despise being on the back of the bike – which was one of the main things I was looking forward to doing with her – but from the off she absolutely loved being back there. If I so much as move my bike now, she runs up to me with her arms out thinking we are going out on it.

As the weather improves, I don’t doubt I will be back in the saddle exploring what the Cotswolds, Wales and Bristol have to offer in terms of adventure cycling. But I can’t pretend that I’m not super excited to take the little one out with a picnic in the panniers and combine that quality bike time with quality family time – the perfect combination.

While it’s not racing through the woods with my mates, or smashing early morning lanes to get to a coffee stop, I don’t think cycling can get much more fun than riding into the city on a Sunday for pizza and a beer with the family, while the little one sits in the back singing along.

Hopefully this is the start of her getting hooked on cycling too. Daniel Oakshott

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THE OFFICE

TH E N U M B E R S OUR TROY LEE POINT OF SALE INSTALLATION ROAD TRIP, BROKEN DOWN IN NUMBERS

1498 MILES DRIVEN IN 10 DAYS

STA FF P ICKS

10

ACESHIGH

DEALERS ACROSS THE UK VISITED

JESS GREAVES CUSTOMER SERVICE TROY LEE DESIGN ACE GLOVE RRP £32.50

ONE THING I’M QUITE PICKY ABOUT ON MY BIKE IS THE CONTACT POINTS, AND THE GRIP/GLOVE INTERFACE MAKES A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE AS TO HOW I FEEL I CAN CONTROL THE BIKE. I am always trying to find latest thinnest grip, because my hands are quite a bit smaller than what manufacturers typically design their products around, and if the palm of a glove is too thick then it normally creases under my palm and takes away some of the direct feel I like to get from the bike. The Troy Lee Ace glove, which has a super thin palm, is perfect. I’ve been running a set for around seven months now and the palm is still intact with little signs of wear. The elasticated cuff also means no Velcro straps to dig in, and the back of the hand is constructed from a substantial mesh fabric, which allows for good airflow to keep you cool on a hot summer’s day, while not being too fragile. The gloves look great too and come in a range of colours, in both male and female versions. I have a fluoro yellow set and they really stand out! Jess Greaves

384 FLANGE HEAD NUTS USED

0001 BAD MEAL RESULTING IN MILD FOOD POISONING

13 647 COFFEES ON THE ROAD CONSUMED

STAFF COLUMN

GIRONA PRESS CAMP ASH GETS TO SEE AND TEST THE NEW ENVE 3.4S IN BEAUTIFUL GIRONA

We headed out to Girona for a press camp of Enve’s new 3.4 clinchers – a two-day event that invited journalists from across Europe, to give everyone the opportunity to sample the new wheels on some of Girona’s lovely roads. Christian Mierer’s shop. The Service Course, worked as the base for the camp, and Enve’s Ken Bloomer did the hosting. The format? Presentation on the wheels, then ride them – simple.

The first ride was jinxed, after someone mentioned how they’d really love to try the new brake track in the wet. They got their wish, it rained – and a lot! The planned four-hour coastal route loop was cut to just two hours as, seemingly, monsoon season arrived. Despite the horrendous weather though, it did give everyone a chance to experience all the benefits of the new design – given that second day was mercifully dry.

The 3.4s (see page 49 for more details) are pitched as a climbing wheelset with an aero advantage – and I’d say Enve has achieved that. They’re a completely different profile to the previous generation: wider, different depths front and rear, and you can now run them tubeless. They ramp up speed nicely on the flat and when climbing, and the combination of the stopping power from the brake track and smooth cornering from the tubeless setup and wide rim gives you bags of confidence when descending those fast windy roads.

All in all there were some big smiles on display, both because of the wheels,which definitely work, and because Henrick Orre, Team Sky’s chef, dropped by to lay on some food. Without going into too much detail, let’s say that Froome and co clearly do OK for food when they’re away from home. Ash Matthews

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SCAFFOLD POLL CLAMPS USED

1017

TROY LEE HANGERS USED

3

CUTS TO COXY’S HANDS

THE OFFICE

WHO’S WHO

MEET THE TEAM GEORGE WISE CUSTOMER SERVICE WE FIND OUT ALL ABOUT OUR NEW MAN IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WHAT MAKES HIM TICK

WHO IS GEORGE WISE? HUSBAND, FATHER AND CYCLING ENTHUSIAST.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? STROUD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. IT’S IN THE MIDDLE OF FIVE VALLEYS SO OFFERS INCREDIBLE MTB AND ROAD CYCLING RIGHT OUT OF MY FRONT DOOR. AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE…

WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE? CUSTOMER SERVICE.

WORST JOB YOU EVER HAD? COUNTING BOLTS IN A FACTORY PRODUCTION LINE. IT WAS WELL WORTH IT THOUGH AS THE MONEY HELPED PAY FOR A SEASON IN MORZINE.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE? I’VE BEEN TO SO MANY AMAZING PLACES TO RIDE, BOTH ON AND OFF ROAD, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THE FRENCH/SWISS ALPS HAVE GIVEN ME THE BEST MEMORIES.

FAVOURITE BIKE INVENTION? HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES.

WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY? DOUBLE-DIPPING FOOD PRODUCTS ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER THINGS. BUT I GET OVER IT QUICKLY.

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, GOOD FOOD AND DRINK, RIDING MY BIKE.

WHAT’S THE #1 MOST PLAYED SONG ON YOUR IPOD? MY IPOD’S BROKEN.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTES? TOO MANY TO RECALL. BASICALLY, THE WHOLE OF ANCHORMAN AND SNATCH. BEST FILMS EVER…

WHAT CHORE DO YOU ABSOLUTELY HATE DOING? I’M NOT A FAN OF PUTTING THE RUBBISH OUT.

STA F F P I C KS

LOVEDUP JESS GREAVES CUSTOMER SERVICE INTENSE TRACER FACTORY FRAME £3100

MY STAFF PICK IS MY INTENSE TRACER FRAME. I love it! At 5ft 3in I’ve gone for the size small and it fits me perfectly. The standover height is so low that I can run 150mm dropper post, which is a first for me.

It makes a big difference being able to get the seat super low and out of the way, and the bike’s centre of gravity in general is quite low making it more stable.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF THE YEAR? SPRING.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MODE OF TRAVEL BIKE OF COURSE!

WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE MODE OF TRAVEL? AEROPLANES – I’M SCARED OF FLYING.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO STAY A CERTAIN AGE FOREVER, WHAT AGE WOULD IT BE? I’M ENJOYING LIFE MORE AND MORE AS I GET OLDER SO I WOULDN’T WANT TO BE ONE AGE FOREVER.

IF YOU COULD LEARN TO DO ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? BUILD A HOUSE.

IF YOU HAD TO CHANGE YOUR FIRST NAME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IT TO? PEDRO. IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU MEET? I’M A BELIEVER IN NOT MEETING YOUR HEROES, AS WHEN I HAVE IN THE PAST IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING. IF I HAD TO CHOOSE THOUGH IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TOM HANKS. BET HE WOULD BE A LAUGH TO HAVE A PINT WITH.

WHICH CELEBRITY DO YOU GET MISTAKEN FOR? I DON’T REALLY. HOWEVER, ONCE WHEN I MET LETHAL BIZZLE IN AN INTERVIEW HE THOUGHT I WAS A MEMBER OF THE BAND GALLOWS THAT HE HAD JUST DONE A COLLABORATION WITH. IT WAS A FUNNY YET VERY AWKWARD INTERACTION.

BEST/WORST GIFT YOU’VE EVER GIVEN/RECEIVED? BEST – COFFEE MACHINE. WORST – A LIMITED EDITION MARMITE JAR THAT DIDN’T EVEN HAVE ANY MARMITE IN IT. RUBBISH.

WHAT’S THE BEST BIT OF ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE? IT’S BETTER TO TALK THAN KEEP THINGS BOTTLED UP.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED? AS A NICE GUY.

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The chainstay is shorter than on my previous trail bike and it makes it so much easier to hit tight corners fast, along with it being easy to pop the front wheel up and throw the bike about a bit.

Intense has put a lot of care and thought into this frame, with a nice thick rubber down tube protector that doesn’t ruin the aesthetics and a high-quality paint job, which is not only super bright, but will look fresh for a long time. There is also decent chainstay protection, and threaded internal cable routing making gear cable swaps easy.

Plus, the grease ports mean it’s easy to keep the pivots running sweet.

The combo of the Monarch Plus shock with the Tracer frame means I can run the rear shock fairly soft for small-bump sensitivity and grip, yet when you find yourself heading towards a harsh landing it soaks it up nicely without snapping any ankles! With the Saddleback spec build of Enve Wheels, King hubs and headset, Enve bar/stem and Rotor Hawk cranks it comes out pretty light too, which helps on the climbs! Jess Greaves

THE OFFICE

STAFF COLUMN

NEW BIKE DAY It’s all change in the Cox household. Shiny new Intense bike, old ripped Troy Lee kit replaced with 2017 gear – I look like I’m straight out of a showroom. Now all that remains is to use it...

At the time of writing this I have only got into the saddle of my new Intense Tracer Expert a couple of times. I was all set to take full advantage of some days off over Easter but my car began to wheeze its last breath – or so I thought.

Thankfully the vehicle turned out to be fine with nothing seriously amiss – the only casualty was my poor wife having to deal with me being miserable about missing my uplift day…

well as the monotonous commute, I have been trying to build my strength by doing some longer rides recently – I just can’t wait to translate those miles into more off-road ones.

Riding aside, March was crazy for me. I spent three weeks touring the UK installing Troy Lee Designs’ point of sale displays (see page 20). I designed these in conjunction with the guys at Troy Lee and with all the parts I needed in kit form I loaded the van up for what was a mammoth road trip.

Anyway the neglected bike at least got a location shoot for our staff ride section (for a full spec and more details turn to page 104). I had already test-ridden the new Tracer and was blown away by it, so it was the obvious choice for me from the amazing range offered by Intense. Hopefully by our next issue of incycle I’ll be able to report back more thoroughly about how I’ve been getting on with it.

Something we are very keen to do here at Saddleback is to support our dealers in any way we can, and with Troy Lee 2017 kit landing at bike shops all around the UK the timing was perfect. After lots of hotel stays and eating like a king for three weeks I’m now back in the office designing the next installment of our ever-growing Troy Lee point of sale range. Check out your local Troy Lee dealer for a look at the awesome new gear. Nick Cox

In contrast to my lack of mountain biking at the moment, my road bike still continues to rack up the miles and be my source of improving my fitness. As

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THE OFFICE

TECH TIP S

KING HUB MAINTENANCE ROSS GRIMMETT SENIOR MECHANIC WORKSHOP’S BEST FRIEND DIFFICULTY LEVEL MEDIUM

TO P F I V E THIS ISSUE OUR MARKETING MANAGER, DECLAN DEEHAN, SHARES HIS TOP FIVE FAVOURITE MOUNTAIN BIKING DESTINATIONS

Following on from how to look after brand-new King hubs, through their initial in break-in period where settling can occur (see page 44), the next part of looking after your investment is of course maintenance.

Chris King hubs have a five-year warranty (with headsets you get a 10-year one).

This should not be interpreted, however, as though they will run perfectly for five years without being maintained or serviced.

Beyond the initial break-in adjustment, and occasional adjustment over the following months, the only maintenance necessary is cleaning and lubricating the RingDrive, and re-lubricating the bearings themselves.

In normal conditions, hubs should be maintained at between six- and 12-month intervals, dependent on on mileage and conditions. In particularly muddy or wet conditions, every three months is a more appropriate interval.

The servicing required is again outlined in the manual under ‘Basic Maintenance’ and can easily be carried out with just some quality 2.5mm and 5mm Allen keys, along with some clean rags, an old tooth brush and some lubricant.

1

FORT WILLIAM

One of the world’s most iconic DH race courses. Having raced here in the past is definitely a box ticked. I still get butterflies when Aonach Mor appears and dominates all around it.

2

DUNKELD, SCOTLAND

One of the only tracks in the UK back in the day where the Juniors had to start lower on the hill. It used to properly scare me but it’s where I got my best-ever DH result so had to go on the list.

3

WHISTLER, BC What

a place, and a must for every mountain biker out there. It is as good as they say, and even though I got done over by three racoons when I was there I will be back as soon as I possibly can.

4

PUNTA ALA, ITALY On

the west coast of Italy about an hour and a half from Pisa, this is idyllic. We based ourselves at Punta Ala Trail Centre and had trails from the door one way and a stunning beach the other way.

5

THE GOLFY, SCOTLAND

Situated in the rolling Scottish borders hills, the Golfy is a test for any mountain biker. Proper big boy tracks (not sure how I remember them as my eyes were mostly closed) – I love this place.

If this quick and simple service regime is adhered to, then a full RingDrive service will not be required for up to two years. This level of full service involves the complete removal of the RingDrive from the rear hub and removes any contaminants and old lubricant from the system.

There are many dealers able to offer this level of service, and that have the specific King tools to do the job, and Saddleback can also do this work too – drop chriskingsupport@saddleback.co.uk a line to discuss your needs.

REAR MTB HUB:

STAFF COLUMN

LET’S MAKE A RACE TEAM SINCE THE LAST EDITION OF INCYCLE, SADDLEBACK’S INTENSE RACING UK TEAM HAVE GOT TRUCKING. IT’S BEEN A SPECIAL TIME

There is no bigger statement that you mean business than putting a race team on the circuit.

Often the misconception of starting a race team is that you just sign some great riders, get some free swag, get racing and let the podiums follow. In fact, massive work is involved – and an ever-evolving and shifting focus on how you can improve on every level of the team.

There’s products, logistics, schedules, costings, marketing, rider support and so much more…

The first questions you ask yourself are, why are we doing this and what do we want to achieve? Is it a branding exercise? Is a commercial exercise? Is it a platform to give back to the sport we love through giving riders a chance to prove themselves and make a living from it?

The truth is, it’s a mix of all the above and all the ingredients listed need to be added to the mixing bowl in equal measurements. Once you know why, it’s on to building your team, which is the next challenge and a fascinating one at that. Each team member brings something special to the table, whether it’s the riders, mechanics or people behind the scenes doing the stuff no one knows is happening.

It all becomes apparent at special moments of the process that you have made the right choices: your riders receiving their steeds and kit for the first time; your mechanics’ reactions when the riders have done well. The drive and willingness from a mechanic often outshines any rider – and it’s a true reflection of their love of what they do and the quest for perfection.

Going back to your brands and being able to say, “Check this out”. Watching your riders who are the racers of the future put their foot on the steps for the first time. These are the reasons why we make race teams. Declan Deehan

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THE OFFICE

WHO’S WHO

MEET THE TEAM STEVE LIGHT WAREHOUSE OUR TALLEST WAREHOUSE TEAM MEMBER GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO WHO HE REALLY IS

WHO IS STEVE LIGHT? THE BIKE- AND KIT-CRAZY GUY IN THE WAREHOUSE. I’VE WORKED FOR SADDLEBACK FOR A YEAR NOW AND JUST LOVE IT. I COME FROM A TRIATHLON BACKGROUND AND HAVE RACED FOR OVER 20 YEARS. IN THAT TIME I WON THE JUNIOR SOUTH WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS, RACED ABROAD FOR GB AND COMPLETED TWO IRONMEN. I AM ALSO A KEEN MOUNTAIN BIKER AND HAVE ACHIEVED MY CAT 3 LICENSE. I’VE ALSO DONE ONE CX SEASON – IT WAS GREAT FUN.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? BRISTOL. WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE? WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT. WORST JOB YOU EVER HAD? I WORKED ON A BUILDING SITE DURING THE WINTER – LETS JUST SAY IT WAS CHARACTER BUILDING…

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE? HUNTINGTON BEACH IN CALIFORNIA AND, OF COURSE, THE BIG CLIMBS IN MAJORCA.

FAVOURITE BIKE INVENTION? AS I AM A BIG UNIT IT HAS GOT TO BE DISC BRAKES – I JUST LOVE THE STOPPING POWER.

WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY? PEOPLE WHO ARE DISRESPECTFUL. WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? RIDING WITH MY MATES WITH THE SUN ON MY BACK AND A GOOD COFFEE STOP UP AHEAD.

WHAT’S THE #1 MOST PLAYED SONG ON YOUR IPOD? KINGS OF LEON – FIND ME.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTES? “PAIN IS TEMPORARY, QUITTING LASTS FOREVER” – LANCE ARMSTRONG.

WHAT CHORE DO YOU ABSOLUTELY HATE DOING? VACUUMING! LAST TIME I TRIED IT I PUT MY BACK OUT.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF THE YEAR? HAS TO BE

STA FF P ICKS

CHRISTMAS – A GREAT TIME TO BE WITH FAMILY.

HEADTURNER

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MODE OF TRAVEL? ABOARD MY NEW S–WORKS TARMAC WITH ENVES – IT’S AWESOME!

JAMES WELLMAN SOUTH WEST AREA MANAGER ENVE 3.4 WHEELSET RRP £3100

WHAT’S YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE MODE OF TRAVEL? GOT TO BE THE BUS… IT JUST TAKES FOREVER TO GET ANYWHERE.

THE NEW ENVE 3.4 WHEELSET IS SIMPLY THE BEST PAIR OF HOOPS I HAVE EVER RIDDEN. I have tried plenty of other carbon wheels over the last few years and they have all been satisfactory; however, the 3.4s have kicked all of these out of the park. The one thing about carbon clinchers is that historically they don’t like descending and they are not very good in the wet, but the new moulded-in brake track is designed to work with the new Enve brake pad and this allows you brake with so much more confidence.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO STAY A CERTAIN AGE FOREVER, WHAT AGE WOULD IT BE? IT HAS TO BE MY LATE TWENTIES – I WAS FITTER WITH MORE HAIR!

IF YOU COULD LEARN TO DO ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? BECOME A BETTER BIKE MECHANIC – I’M CURRENTLY NOT THE BEST (JUST ASK CHARLES).

The depth of the 3.4 makes it a really good all round wheelset.

I do most of my riding in the Cotswolds and these are the ideal choice for me given that they climb as well as a shallower wheel, aren’t affected by crosswinds and pick up just as quickly on the flats as the majority of deeper-section wheels I have ridden. The new rims are tubeless-ready and this makes them a really robust and safe choice for riding even in the worst conditions. It’s great to see tubeless becoming as popular a choice on the road as it has been on off-road. The new rim is also 27mm wide (making it one of the widest), which works really well as it stretches the tyre covering more of the road, providing more grip and in turn a better response for when you stomp on the gas.

IF YOU HAD TO CHANGE YOUR FIRST NAME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IT TO? ‘BUZZ’.

IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU MEET? LANCE ARMSTRONG – HE WAS MY CHILDHOOD HERO AND, EVEN AFTER ALL THE CONTROVERSY, HE WAS STILL THE FASTEST ON IT.

WHICH CELEBRITY DO YOU GET MISTAKEN FOR? FRED SIRIEIX FROM THE FIRST DATES HOTEL (OR SO THE LADIES IN THE OFFICE SAY).

BEST/WORST GIFT YOU’VE EVER GIVEN/RECEIVED? OPTIMUS PRIME AS A CHILD. I WAS SO CHUFFED AND EXCITED TO GET IT. I STILL REMEMBER IT WELL.

For the last few years I have always ridden a 25mm tyre, but I think given the width of these rims I might drop down to a 23mm (controversial I know). With disc brakes becoming more and more popular in the pro-peloton it is also great to know that the 3.4s can also come in an AR version that will take disc brakes, so even those who ride discs can experience just how great this wheelset is. All in all it’s a truly fantastic all-rounder. James Wellman

WHAT’S THE BEST BIT OF ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE? IT’S NOT WORTH WORRYING ABOUT UNTIL IT HAPPENS. IF NOT THAT, GET MARRIED IN LAS VEGAS ON NEW YEARS EVE – THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED? FOR MY EXPENSIVE TASTE… EVEN IF I CAN’T AFFORD IT!

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BESTSELLERS

HOT STUFF

BESTSELLERS OUR TOP SELLING PRODUCTS FEBRUARY 2017–APRIL 2017

SIDI KAOS RRP £190

CASTELLI UNDERSADDLE BAG RRP £25

ROTOR CHAIN CATCHER RRP £18

STAGES ULTEGRA 6800 RRP £549 CHRIS KING INSET 7 HEADSET RRP £180

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BESTSELLERS

SILCA PHONE WALLET RRP £40

TROY LEE DESIGNS 5450 KNEE/SHIN GUARD RRP £70

ENVE COMPUTER MOUNT RRP £50

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INTENSE RACING UK

JOE BREEDEN SAM FLOCKHART JESS GREAVES CHARLIE HATTON AJAY JONES OLI MORRIS ANDREW TITLEY THE INTENSE RACING UK TEAM IS BRAND NEW FOR 2017.

GLORY AND GOOD TIMES ARE ON THE AGENDA

WORDS RIC MCLAUGHLIN PICTURES JOBY SESSIONS

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INTENSE RACING UK

Two empty sofas sit in front of a crowded, high-ceilinged Bristol office. Journos click pens and fiddle with cameras of various complexities. Business continues behind them as phones ring and reps chatter through orders – this is after all a place of work.

In a stairwell behind the makeshift stage, the freshly assembled members of Intense Racing UK laugh and joke. Like any good team, they represent a wide range of ages and disciplines. Teenagers Joe Breeden and Charlie Hatton laugh and joke with Masters rider and all-round UK riding legend, Andrew Titley.

Titley is a racer who has simply never given up – and in any case probably wouldn’t know how to if it was ever an option open to him. He came up in the burgeoning UK mountain bike scene alongside Steve Peat, who he would go on to winter in California with during the raucous 1990s. Titley is one of the few riders to still race downhill as well as enduro and is right at the top of timesheets in both disciplines – a rarer achievement still. He will go to the Madeira round of the Enduro World Series having already earned himself a wildcard earlier in the year. Enduro’s self-sufficiency plays to Titley’s experience well, alongside the sheer amount of riding and racing it demands. It’s manna for a man who simply can’t get enough of life on two wheels.

Dark arts Breeden, on the other hand, is a lanky youngster full of confidence – and with enough natural talent to back it up. He’s only been racing a few years but has already learned the dark art of winning titles, rather than just standalone races. Hatton meanwhile is a Forest of Dean local and has had people talking on the British DH circuit for a number of years. The pair represent the team’s main downhill spearhead, and just a couple of weeks after this sunny afternoon in Bristol, go on to reward Saddleback’s faith in them at the opening round of the UCI World Cup. Breeden brings his new Intense M16 home to sixth in junior men while Hatton, on his elite-class debut, keeps his cool to romp home in seventeenth.

Welshman Ajay Jones – perhaps the most outgoing of the group and a quick and easy conversationalist – is more accustomed to bringing the heat. A former frontman in a metal band who has roared his lyrics out to thousands of people, his big regret now is the years that pursuit of music took away from the bike. Having left the sport when DH machines were unwieldy beasts and everything else bent or disintegrated between your ankles, his new Intense Tracer is his pride and joy – and his hiatus provides real perspective on just how far things have progressed. Both he and Titley are conscious of the place Intense and Troy Lee Designs inhabit in the formative roots of the sport.

By contrast Sam Flockhart, a tall, physically imposing Scot, raced DH during those years Ajay missed. After years of racing and chasing results on big teams, he cashed in his chips and opened a bike shop near his native Cumbernauld. But at 24 he couldn’t shift the racing bug, is back in training and can’t wait to hear the the beeps again.

Relaxed and ready It’s a sound that’s all too familiar to Jess Greaves, an eternal privateer turned team rider. She works at Saddleback so already has more of an idea than most of the hours that have been poured into this new team. In conversation, she can guide you down sections of Welsh downhill tracks seldom ridden. She’s raced UCI World Cups and looks forward to doing so again.

Finally there’s Olly Morris, the man with his hand on the wheel. With a background in human resource management, he reckons himself well-trained for his new role as ‘team dad’. An accomplished racer himself, Olly is keen to push for top-five finishes but tempers any of his own ambitions with the importance of the team enjoying themselves. If that can be achieved then the results will follow, goes his reasoning.

Team launches can be strange, disjointed affairs where personalities clash and buzzwords float about like flies around the proverbial. But that’s not what the new Intense Racing UK setup feels like. As the riders gamely chat to the press about the year ahead, there’s already a sense of cohesion coupled with a relaxed atmosphere. It would be easy to be overawed by the heritage behind Intense and Troy Lee Designs but that’s not the case either. This team is about riding, racing and going as fast as possible – and its members look more than happy to do all three.

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INTENSE RACING UK

I’M FROM MID WALES – I LITERALLY LIVE IN THE HILLS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. I GOT NINTH AT THE WORLD CHAMPS IN VAL DI SOLE LAST YEAR; IT’S A LONG TOUGH TRACK, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. I LOVED IT – MY GOAL IS TO GET A MEDAL AT THE WORLD CHAMPS IN CAIRNS. JOE BREEDEN | DOWNHILL JUNIOR

AGE 17 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? From the glorious hills of Mid Wales. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? In the countryside of Mid Wales, not far from the famous Revolution Bike Park – I love it here! WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Whatever I commit myself to being good at [laughs]…

though sport is my strong point – I love it. I’ve competed in many types of sport – cross country running, tennis, table tennis, athletics, football, you name it. But I have finally settled and set my focus on DH mountain biking. FIRST BIKE A tiny red Giant Animator – I remember the beast very well. I christened her by riding around the dinner table on Christmas Day many years ago. FIRST RACE 2013 Pearce Cycles round 1 at Bringewood as a last year Juvenile – I finished fifth and had so much fun. BEST RACE RESULT Tough one... I’ve had a few BDS/National wins, which are always big and hard races to win, but I would probably say my ninth-place finish at the World Championships last year as only a first year Junior has to be the highlight. It was such a mentally and physically challenging week and I was very proud of myself for how well I performed under these pressures.

BEST CRASH A crash is never a good thing but they can be pretty funny at times. I’ve had a few funny ones in the past, some big ones where I’ve walked away unscathed, and I’ve also had some not-so-funny crashes where I’ve ended up with a fractured pelvis or broken collarbones...

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO There are so many riders I look up to, and many aspects to most riders that I admire. Laurie Greenland has to be

one of them – he marks the path I want to follow and he’s an extremely talented rider and just such a genuine and friendly chap.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE Revolution Bike Park. I grew up riding at Revo and it was what I always looked forward to; five years later and it’s still what I get excited for. It’s amazing, they’re constantly building new tracks/sections so it never gets boring.

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON To have a consistent year, consisting of enjoyment, podiums and winning! BEST RIDING SONG I don’t tend to listen to music when I’m riding, but my favourite song when smashing out row sprints in the gym has to be NF ft. Marty – Grindin’. ANY RACE ADVICE? Work hard, visualise and believe in yourself, but most importantly have fun!

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I COME FROM DOWNHILL SO I’M MORE OF A FAST AND REALLY ROUGH STAGE KIND OF A GUY. WHEN IT COMES TO PICKING UP SPEED AND HAVING THE BALLS TO RIDE STUFF REALLY FAST, THAT’S MY KIND OF BAG. SAM FLOCKHART | ENDURO ELITE

AGE 24 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Scotland. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? East of Glasgow. WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Doing the bikes, looking after my dog, and felling trees! FIRST BIKE Scott 220 hardtail. FIRST RACE Ae Forest 2005, fifth place. BEST RACE RESULT European Champion 2010 and podium World Cup positions as a Junior. BEST CRASH Aww where do I start? Fort William World Cup 2010 or 2011 (I can’t

remember which), I landed a little sideways and stopped with my head, I don’t remember the day up until after the crash. 2016 Finale EWS, spinboard lifted off the hill with a suspected fractured or broken neck or back… was a good laugh either way!

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO? Cédric Gracia – he’s the man. FAVOURITE INTENSE RACING UK PRODUCT The Tracer frame and the Chris King/Enve setup is unreal. Also the Rotor Hawk cranks and Q-Ring chainring. FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE Whistler, Italy, Scotland – anywhere

the sun is out…

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON Top 40 EWS finishes and top UK and EWS ranking. BEST RIDING SONG Kings of Leon – Red Morning Light.

ANY RACE ADVICE The 7 Ps: proper preparation and planning prevents p*** poor performance.

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I JUST LOVE THE BUZZ YOU GET FROM RACING. WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD RUN, IT’S DIFFERENT TO JUST GOING OUT AND RIDING YOUR BIKE! JESS GREAVES | DOWNHILL ELITE

AGE 23 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Bristol. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Still in Bristol, but I spend a lot of time in Wales. WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Chatting for days – too much sometimes. FIRST BIKE First proper one was a Commencal Absolut jump bike. FIRST RACE 4X National at Redhill Extreme, when I was 15 years old. Raced against the boys and was probably the slowest rider there! BEST RACE RESULT Best World Cup, 24th at Fort William, best National result, third in Elite Women. BEST CRASH Either the massive scorpion OTB I had at the same

Fort William World Cup that I had my best result… or another OTB on my first day’s riding in Rotorua on my NZ trip. Ended up winded on both occasions, smashing my helmet and a huge bruise on my thigh in NZ, pretty much covered the whole thing!

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO? Tracey Moseley, she’s still rapid after all these years… and just generally a nice person. FAVOURITE INTENSE RACING UK PRODUCT Chris King hubs, I’ve been running the same hubs on my DH bike for a few years now and they are still perfect. It’s so nice to ride with such good engagement as well – it makes the bike much more responsive. FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE South Wales on the trail bike,

Pila in Italy on the DH bike.

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON Close the time gap between myself and the top three girls in the UK/world. BEST RIDING SONG If I’m doing

some sprints, then house or drum’n’bass; if its more chilled then I like Flight Facilities, Riya, Dua Lipa, Maya Jane Coles etc. Quite varied normally!

ANY RACE ADVICE? Don’t fall off…

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I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE FIRST UCI WORLD CUP IN LOURDES. I RACED THERE LAST YEAR WHEN IT RAINED. THOSE ROCKS...

I’D NEVER FELT ANYTHING AS SLICK AS THAT. I CAN’T WAIT – IT’S ONE OF THE HARDEST TRACKS. CHARLIE HATTON | DOWNHILL ELITE

AGE 19 years old. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Gloucestershire. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Forest of Dreams (Dean). WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Riding bikes I hope, I guess that’s why I’m answering these questions! FIRST BIKE I had a Kona Shred 24in, it was the boy! FIRST RACE With

living so close to Pedalabikeaway (FoD) my first race was there. I will always remember it – Dirt magazine were interviewing all the rippers including me. Worst interview ever… I haven’t got much better at the interviews to be fair. I ended up third so I was stoked! BEST RACE RESULT My two races this year, I’d say have been my best results to date. As a first-year Elite I finished up 17th at the World Cup in Lourdes. Then fifth place in the British National series in Nant Gwrtheyrn. BEST CRASH Crashing is never good so I wouldn’t really say I’ve had a ‘best crash’ but my worst one would have to be breaking my arm in 2015 – that sucked big time.

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO? I don’t really have a specific hero. I admire all the top boys and how they go so fast all the time, it’s crazy.

FAVOURITE INTENSE RACING UK PRODUCT Gotta be my Intense M16C, what a piece of kit! FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE That’s a tough

question – there are so many good riding spots now. In the UK I’d go for Revolution Bike Park, then beyond that I’d say Andorra or Whistler.

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON It’s hard to gauge that really as a first-year Elite. In UK races I’d like to try and podium as much as possible, and for World Cup I’d like to have a good consistent season ending with a good overall position. BEST RIDING SONG I have too many to choose from – if there had to be one I’d go for Trophies by Young Money. ANY RACE ADVICE? Relax and try not to rush into everything. This year all my race

runs have been smooth and fast, nothing fancy, just solid. I think that’s the key.

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I WAS IN A BAND. WE PLAYED IN FRONT OF 12,000 PEOPLE ONCE BUT RACING IS STILL MUCH MORE NERVE-WRACKING. NOTHING CAN REPLACE THAT BUZZ. AJAY JONES | ENDURO EL;ITE

AGE 31 going on 16. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Merthyr. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Risca/Newport. WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Everything.

FIRST BIKE PW50 at three years old. BEST RACE RESULT Sixteenth stage result at an EWS, or a British enduro win. BEST CRASH None of

them, they all suck…

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO? Steve Peat, Palmer. FAVOURITE INTENSE RACING UK PRODUCT The Tracer. Fast as… and she’s mega sexy.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE Local tracks in the Golden Valley (Risca).

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON Have fun and ride my bike, results will come off the back of that. BEST RIDING SONG Millencolin – No Cigar ANY RACE ADVICE? Have fun, relax, don’t get wrapped in what’s going on around you (with ‘what names are there?’) and never give up.

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TO ME, A TRACK HAS TO BE A TRACK THAT YOU PRETTY MUCH COULDN’T RIDE IT ON A TRAIL BIKE. ANDORRA, VAL DI SOLE...

FOR ME, THE FASTER AND THE ROUGHER THE BETTER. OLI MORRIS | DOWNHILL ELITE

AGE 32 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I was born in Oxford and grew up in Northamptonshire. Not many mountains round that way for a DH mountain biker. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Bristol – for me this is one of the nicest cities in the UK. It has a good vibe and is close to Wales for decent riding. WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Hopefully riding bikes but if I am to come away from that, I am good at being passionate about life. I also have a career in training and development so like to think I am good at helping people improve. FIRST BIKE Univega Ram, then after that I had a Giant ATX 2 in gold – awesome bike for its era. FIRST RACE SAMS (Southern Area MTB Series) at Aston Hill. I was about 14 and didn’t have a clue what I was doing. It was so wet and horrible. Funny how 18 years later I am still at it! BEST RACE RESULT 71st at the Mont Saint Anne World Cup. Such an experience to race at such a legendary venue. BEST CRASH Do you mean best or worst? The worst one I had was at the first BDS at

Ae Forest about eight or nine years ago. I tried pedalling through a section with stumps everywhere, a pedal hit the floor, I got sent over the bars and broke my wrist. I was out for the entire season… the stupid ones are always worse.

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO? Tough one really. The important thing for me is the racer stays grounded, as long as they are sociable and open for a chat then they are my hero. Peaty is a prime example of this. FAVOURITE INTENSE RACING UK PRODUCT The Intense M16 because it is my home. I spend the majority of my life on it! FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE Champery for the track, Leogang for the location. When you go up the

gondola at Leogang and look back, the view is amazing…

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON To build enough UCI points to get back racing World Cups. I currently have 28 and need 40 so am getting closer.

Being on the team is really helping that. On top of this, my goal is to help the team perform and enjoy their season. BEST RIDING SONG If i am

honest, I don’t use music with or for riding. I love music but don’t need it when riding as that’s good enough on its own. Just keep Charlie and Joe’s rap music away from me please. LOL, showing my age maybe. ANY RACE ADVICE? Obviously enjoy it but for me it is learning how to manage your mind in race situations. It can get quite emotional over a race weekend so keeping a level head will help your performance.

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I RIDE TO RACE AND THAT’S WHAT I LOVE DOING. I LOVE THE ADRENALINE, THE COMPETITION AND PUSHING MYSELF. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING FOR ME. I’M JUST OBSESSED WITH IT. ANDREW TITLEY | DOWNHILL AND ENDURO MASTERS

AGE 41. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Shrewsbury. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Bristol. WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT? Whistling and throwing stones. FIRST BIKE BMX Piranha with yellow skyway mag wheels (still got it). FIRST RACE Malvern Hills 1988. BEST RACE RESULT Back in the day – National Overall DH Champion Junior 1994; more recently – National DH Champion Masters 2014. BEST CRASH: Best? Worst –

shattered wrist into pieces. It’s now held together with lots of plates, pins and screws.

WHO’S YOUR RACING HERO Old school – John Tomac; new school – Danny Hart. FAVOURITE INTENSE RACING UK PRODUCT M16.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE Madeira.

GOALS FOR THIS SEASON Podium every race. BEST RIDING SONG The Prodigy – Omen. ANY RACE ADVICE? Ride your own race – don’t

worry about anyone else.

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INSIDE SIDI

HEART AND SOLE FOR OVER THREE DECADES SIDI HAS SHOD SOME OF C YC L I N G ’ S G R E AT S . W E V I S I T E D I TA LY A N D F O U N D A F I R M B L E N D I N G M O D E R N T E C H W I T H O L D - S C H O O L AT T I T U D E S WORDS STU BOWERS PICS SIDI

Now in his eighties, founder Dino Signori is no longer officially in charge at revered footwear maker Sidi. “Rosella is the real boss these days,” he says with a gesture towards his daughter and heir, who is translating his Italian into English for my benefit. However, there’s a hint of a wink when he says this, suggesting that his command hasn’t been entirely surrendered.

Signori certainly looks a picture of health despite his advanced years, and there’s an unmistakable gravitas about him that suggests he’s not ready to retire to his easy chair just yet. I’m told he is still the first to arrive every morning and often the one locking up at night – even working on Saturdays during busy times.

There are few moments when Signori’s hands are still. His gesticulations – a raised arm; a clenched fist; his palms opening up as if to show the wear and tear from a life of manual work – testify to the passion he still has for work, despite being 15 years north of many people’s retirement age. Rosella struggles at times to keep up, as her father recalls how he was just nine years old when he first began working in a shoe factory and how he has rarely worked a standard 40-hour week in his life, sometimes working 24 hours non-stop.

“You must first do work; then leisure comes after,” Signori says. “But if you work with passion it is not so bad. If you work just for money it will be a bad life for you.”

All told he claims he’s put in 71 years – but calculates that his hours would in fact add up to the equivalent of 128 years of graft. We’re here to see the fruits of that work in person, to soak up Sidi’s rich tradition and to find out what’s changed at a company that’s still pushing forward and producing shoes for cycling’s greats.

FIRST STEPS On arrival at Sidi’s shoemaking factory in Maser, in the shadow of the famous Dolomite mountains in northern Italy, you might be surprised by how modern the building is, with its vast curvaceous roof and glass facade. With a brand so steeped in history as Sidi, I’d expected something more akin to ‘Gepetto’s workshop’ – all wood, dust and leather – than the clinical feel of an F1 facility, but as I discover, the inner workings of the company are an intriguing combination of the old and new.

A simple union of the first two letters of Signori’s first and last names is where Sidi gets its name. The firm began life in 1960 after Signori learned his trade by making ski boots and trekking shoes from a stable behind his house.

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As a dedicated racing cyclist in his youth, he would wake every morning at 3am and ride 120km before work in the factory. “On Sundays I would compete – and occasionally win too. I could have perhaps turned professional in my twenties, but at that time athletes were not paid very well and I had other ideas. I wanted to have my own business.”

Despite those deeply-held ambitions, it was a niggling knee problem that eventually sparked the distinctive direction for Signori’s shoemaking. “I’ve always been able to come up with good ideas,” he says, and it was the idea to make an adjustable shoe plate fixing system on his first cycling shoe, the Titanium in 1973, that put Sidi cycling shoes on the map. Where previously the shoe plate was simply nailed directly to the sole, leaving the user with no room to fine-tune once in place, Signori’s design used threaded inserts and bolts to allow it to be repositioned and adjusted with ease. The idea would soon catch on and paved the way for the modern style of adjustable cleats used by all shoe brands.

“With ski boots you just need machines to make them – you don’t need to have so many skills – but to make technical cycling shoes you need to first be a shoemaker,” he says. Of course, skilled employees were also essential for Signori to get his business off the ground, and he impresses upon me how he always had good workers, many of whom started at the business from 15 years old and never left. They stayed until they retired, working together their entire lives and learning the process together.

His reminiscences cause him to become more animated. “This is not a job you do with a computer,” he asserts. “You do it with your hands [he again offers me his palms] and for that you need to start early and learn your trade.”

It clearly bothers Signori that the modern workforce does not necessarily follow his work ethic. He tells me that good staff like those he grew up with are hard to find these days.

“After I saw those people retire, I could not replace them. The younger guys have a different mentality,” he says. He admits to having struggled to adjust, to learn to work with different people and adapt to the new generations. Rosella interjects with the notion that her father is a little stuck in his ways, but he is quick to defend himself.

“My theory has always been to do things the best way, but today that is not as easy – my workers and family might say that I am negative, but I would say that I am realistic,” Signori says. “I never want to lose. To win you have to be passionate and apply yourself with full commitment. When I lose I am very upset with myself. When I make mistakes I am very upset, so the key is to make as few errors as possible, and learn from the few you make along the way.”

HANDS ON There are now around 70 employees at Sidi’s HQ in Maser, half of whom work on the shop floor, where all of the premium shoes are still made. Close by, Sidi also has a laboratory with another 30 employees who do research and development for the new top-end products. But the biggest sector of the workforce is in its factory in Romania, which employs around 240. This is something else that vexes Signori.

“WITH SKI B O OT S YOU JUST NEED MACHINES TO MAKE THEM – YOU D ON’ T N E E D T O H AV E S O M A N Y S K I L L S – B U T T O MAKE TECHNICAL CYCLING SHOES YOU N E E D TO F I R ST B E A SHOE M A K E R”

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“It’s a shame I had to move the factory outside Italy to Romania,” he says. “It was not, as everyone likes to think, to save costs; it is simply that people who live around here in Italy do not want to do this kind of work. It saddens me. In the past you could find people to stitch the uppers, but these skilled workers are not available here any more. You have to go outside to find them.”

Offering to pull out his bills and invoices as evidence, Signori adds that it is often more expensive to make Sidi’s products in Romania, once shipping costs and other expenses are factored in. He would prefer, he says, to have another 150 employees in Maser and build a new factory next to the existing one, where there is land. “But we just don’t have the people willing to do the job,” he says.

A look from his daughter tells Signori that it might be time to move on. He looks at me as we rise to take a tour of the facility and says, “Rosella is the diplomatic one. I am the straight talker.”

On the factory floor workers sit at sewing machines or feed the giant machines with parts of shoes or motorcycle boots (Sidi’s other product focus). The room hums with the competing noises of air cleaning ducts (used to mollify the aroma of glue), manufacturing machines and conveyor belts.

At one workstation a woman, Marta, stitches the bright pink uppers for a pair of custom shoes for pro racer Nacer Bouhanni of Team Cofidis. Around the room, hundreds of bright blue shoes are in various stages of production. These, it turns out, are the new limited edition Chris Froome version of Sidi’s top-end Wire Carbon Vernice.

Rosella points out one machine that wouldn’t look out of place in a Terminator movie. Its job is to wrap the upper around the last using a complex combination of mechanised arms, and it can apparently get through 1,500 shoes per day. But despite the impressive automation, it still requires skilled human hands to finish many tasks, and every stage is checked by an experienced set of eyes.

A shoe’s last – the solid core that the upper is stretched around – is the crux of the process in terms of how that shoe will eventually fit. For the top pros, Sidi will make bespoke lasts, and in one corner of the room is a shelving unit with hundreds of coloured plastic feet that is a shrine to the greats of cycling (see box below).

Despite a thorough search, I can’t find a last bearing Froome’s name. “He just has a standard last,” says Rosella. “The same as the shoes you can buy in stores.”

Perhaps he’s just too polite to demand a special last – or it could be that he just has a very standard foot shape? Either way, it won’t be long before a pair of blue Sidis, maybe even from the ones we’ve seen going around us today, will be making their way around the Tour de France. I can’t help wondering if Froome will tempt fate this year, and ask for a few extra yellow pairs?

HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS FEET IN CYCLING Most top professional cyclists don’t make do with any old shoe – they have theirs specially created on a last moulded to the exact shape of their foot. A glance at the Sidi shelf reveals a who’s-who of cycling, past and present. Alberto Contador’s feet are stacked neatly next to moulds for Peter Sagan, Sammy Sanchez, Tony Martin and Marcel Kittel. The list goes on and on: Bartoli, Basso, Voigt, Indurain, Cipollini… The older lasts, the ones from riders long since retired, have labels tatty and worn, soiled by hard-working hands, suggesting they’ve been used many, many times. It begs the question, how many pairs of shoes does a pro get given?

“It depends on the pro,” says Rosella Signori, head of Sidi Sport. If you assume that pros break out a fresh pair of shoes for every race, you’d be wrong. How many shoes does a big name like Chris Froome get through? “In 2014, just three pairs,” says Signori, “and last year, five.”

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DAY OF THE DAWG W H E N B R E N D A N FA I R C L O U G H S E T O U T TO M A K E T H E U LT I M AT E B I K E M O V I E , H E H A D N O I D E A W H E R E I T W O U L D TA K E H I M . W I T H T H E R E L E A S E O F D E AT H G R I P , H I S C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H E S T E E M E D M O U N TA I N B I K E F I L M M A K E R C L AY P O R T E R , A T H R I L L I N G , C AT H A R T I C J O U R N E Y I S F I N A L LY O V E R WORDS RIC MCLAUGHLIN PICTURES JACOB GIBBINS

WE’RE SITTING INSIDE A COMMERCIAL WAREHOUSE ON THE EDGE OF BRISTOL AND BRENDAN FAIRCLOUGH IS PICKING QUIETLY AT A BOWL OF PISTACHIOS. ALL AROUND HIM THE WARES OF ONE OF HIS LONG-TERM SPONSORS, TROY LEE DESIGNS, HANG ON DISPLAY FOR ESTABLISHED DEALERS TO THUMB THROUGH AND FONDLE.

movie for a while and I’d always wanted to team up with him to do something cool.”

but for this I went to every location and we built about 70% of what is in the film,” he says.

Right from the start, Fairclough says, he wanted it to be something that a kid, or for that matter any enthusiast, could only take about 10 minutes of before having to turn it off and go outside to ride their bike. “Even if they never watched the end of the movie, I’d be, like, ‘Yes!’,” he says.

“It’s a really strange thing in that you go out there for a weekend to scout it, maybe a week or so to dig it with Olly [Wilkins] or someone, then you go out for a week or 10 days to shoot it with 12 people.

At the end of that, Clay then shows you a five- or seven-minute section of video.”

It’s interesting watching their reactions as, one by one, they clock that it is actually him. Double-take follows double-take; several even elbow associates and nod in his direction. Brendan seems oblivious.

On a simple ‘hello’, a smile opens up from ear to ear and he’s as polite and engaging as any career pro – yet somehow people are sheepish about approaching him. For want of a better word, he’s too cool. He’s the Brendog.

At 29 years of age, he can remember the days of VHS and how important and influential seeing the stars ride was before the days of 10 new video segments a day. It’s that excitement he wanted Deathgrip to recapture.

The editorial role was tricky for him to adjust to.

“It was difficult,” he nods, “I was loving what I was seeing so much that I wanted to make each section 15 or 20 minutes long! I was trying to get Clay to make a three-hour movie.

“When I used to come home from school I’d chuck an Earthed or Sprung movie on and that would then give me the motivation to go out and dig jumps in my garden or wherever,” he recalls. “We had that, what I wanted, then Clay’s incredible vision, ideas and ways of filming – his cinematography is incredible. Then we had a list of all the places and riders that I wanted to get in it and it went from there.”

“It felt like there hadn’t been a movie in ages that had stuff that got me really excited in it – even the big-budget, high-production stuff,” Fairclough continues. “In fact, I think that that’s almost the problem with those movies: the budget is just too big. It’s bike fan stuff, which is really hard to get across to people. Like when you’re stood at the side of a UCI World Cup track and the guys are all practising and hitting stuff so fast, that’s the stuff that I want to watch. It’s about riding, that’s it.”

For many, Fairclough epitomises all that is aesthetically pleasing about riding bikes. His style is effortless, off the back, fast and forever hunting for even more speed. He somehow squeezes more angle, more lean and more style out of just about every inch of any given track. Put simply, he rides like we all do in our own heads.

Deathgrip, his new movie, has just had its premiere, with global releases set to trickle out over the coming months. It’s a project that over the past three years has at times consumed his – as well as his longtime friend and director Clay Porter’s – life. Now that it’s finally out there, it’s left behind a tangible void.

FLAT OUT

“I feel a bit flat now it’s all done,” Fairclough muses, cracking open another pistachio shell.

“But in a way it’s worked out really well in terms of time – it’s finished, it’s all out of the way and now I can focus on racing again. It’s been so much organisation and stress towards the end, and now [that’s] all gone.

“Clay and I had been talking about it for the last five years,” he goes on, eyes firing back into life as he recalls the project’s early days. “He hadn’t made a

The concept was simple – “to film the coolest and most influential riders riding the world’s coolest, most influential riding locations”.

The locations alone would probably be enough to sell the film to most mountain bikers: Schladming, two sections in Madeira, Utah, South Africa, Santa Cruz, the south of France – and finally a dirt jump and trail bike section near London. As for riders, Deathgrip reads like a who’s who of the sports biggest and brightest stars. “Josh Bryceland, Brandon Semenuk, Sam Reynolds, Nico Vink, Ryan Howard, Kyle Jameson, Andreu Lacondeguy, Olly Wilkins…” Fairclough lists off. “Basically, in my eyes, the best riders – and it just so happens that I’m in the background a bit lurking around!”

PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT

For Fairclough, Deathgrip brought with it some heavy home truths, given his previous video roles amounted to simply turning up to ride with a couple of changes of kit. “I’ve been in videos before

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But with money comes responsibility and expectation, no matter who you are, and things turned serious in the Utah desert – where the presence of “about $1.5 million dollars worth” of camera gear served to ramp up the pressure.

“Ty Evans, who’s widely regarded as one of the best skate filmers, was really keen to work with us on Deathgrip, so he came out to the Moab section and brought along a load of insane camera gear,” Fairclough says. “Olly and I were there a week before digging and getting ready and I’ve got 11 people turning up to film me and Brandon [Semenuk] ride our bikes! We’ve driven into the desert for six days and all the stuff that we’ve built is right on the edge of what is possible. You’re not building a line of tabletops, you’re building some really hairy stuff.”

With Semenuk, who Fairclough says he considers the best mountain biker in the world, their

“ H O N E S T LY, T H E R E W E R E T H E U S U A L STRESSES FOR BUDGETS AND STUFF LIKE T H A T , B U T I T W A S S O M U C H F U N T O O . C L AY SAID IT REOPENED HIS EYES AS TO HOW MUCH FUN FILMING CAN BE AGAIN AND I J U ST LOV E D R I D I N G I N A L L T H OS E P L AC E S WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE”

D E AT H G R I P

familiarity meant there was “no pressure” riding together. But things weren’t all plain sailing. “When we shot with Josh [Bryceland] for example, we rode a downhill track we’d both ridden a lot of times before – but in Moab, I’d built all this stuff and signed him up for it.” Lots of that building turned out to be a “debatable” location that park rangers were unhappy with.

TESTING TIMES

“We got up at 4:30am, ate breakfast, drove in, dropped all the camera crew and gear off, walked up this massive ridge in the dark,” Fairclough says.

“It took us an hour to get up there and we’re at the top of this cliff that we had built these two gnarly chutes on, and Brandon is there pacing around, talking about how sketchy it looks.”

Cameras were in place, a drone was in the air, everyone was ready to go – but all of a sudden questions were being asked of whether it was all even possible. “It got to the point on that shoot where a couple of times I dropped in thinking that there was an extremely high possibility that I was going to crash – but consoling myself that if I did, there would be four or five cameras to capture it and that it might then look alright for the movie,” Fairclough shrugs. “Which is completely stupid, but that was pressure.”

That sounds pretty far removed from the original concept of keeping things relaxed. “When we started it, Clay and I always said that it couldn’t be high pressure,” Fairclough reasons. “I hate when people say ‘Let’s just keep it fun!‘ but genuinely, this had to be. Honestly, there were the usual stresses for budgets and stuff like that but it was so much fun too. Clay said it reopened his eyes as to how much fun filming can be again – and I just loved riding in all those places with all those people.”

With all those insane locations on tap, which was his favourite that ended up in the final film?

“That’s such a tough one,” Brendog smiles. “But the

first section, the one we shot in South Africa with Andrew [Neethling] was great. This was one of the only sections he had neither had a hand in digging nor even seen that much of.

“I was on the phone to the local trail builder describing what I wanted months beforehand,” he explains. “We were on Skype for hours with me scribbling pictures and so on... and then I got there and literally everything I’d envisaged, he had built!”

That ambitious shopping list encompassed huge turns that would fill with dust and “literally only last 10 runs” before being obliterated, a big jump into a bomb-hole and massive moto whoops. “It was the coolest shoot,” Fairclough says. “It was our first Deathgrip shoot and when we arrived everyone was a bit nervous and a bit hesitant and then day after day it just got better and better.”

BEYOND THE POSSIBLE

When you assemble such a cast of characters and talents, the standout moments are inevitably going to be fairly monumental. But Fairclough has no doubts as to his highlights.

“Brandon did a 720 on a DH bike, which was insane. Also, watching Josh ride in Schladming was incredible,” he laughs at the memory of it.

Ratboy arrived there as a top-10 World Cup rider – but he already knew he was quitting at the end of that year. “Josh turned up to Schladming with two throttles on his bike,” Fairclough says. “Every morning, I’d try and reason with him that we should just have a chilled one first. You drop into that track and there’s this big left hand berm, he’d be there, 8am, hitting that berm so hard…”

Keeping up with Bryceland in this mood was no easy matter. “We were both crashing, blowing up turns and we just had a wicked three days on our bikes – I just couldn’t believe that I was getting the

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best seat in the house to watch Josh riding the best that I’ve ever seen him ride,” Fairclough recalls.

“It forced me to come up to his level and we were honestly doing things which are not possible on a bike. I’ve thought about it now and some of the stuff is just not on, you couldn’t ride it.”

Any creative project will feature some less attractive highlights – the bits that didn’t make it to fruition; the bits that will burn brightest in its creator’s eyes as the ‘what ifs’.

“There is something that didn’t make it in that I’m annoyed about,” Fairclough sighs.

“I was desperate to film with my old mate Sam Hill on trail bikes. Not only would it have brought a whole different demographic to the movie but it would have been so great for kids watching – the 20-year-olds who maybe just missed how influential he really was. I really wanted to bring him back in in his latest version on an enduro bike, going so fast, and with me flailing along behind him trying to keep up. But it didn’t happen in the end.”

There are few racers who will have experienced the all-consuming stresses and strains of such a project, which make racing down the world’s fastest race tracks again feel like light relief, but for Brendan Fairclough Deathgrip has been a defining moment in time.

Never once during our conversation does he mention any fears of how it will be received or how it will compare to other seminal titles. The sole focus has been on riding the best places with the best people – and as big a battle as that undoubtedly was at times, he gives the impression of a man content with his own creation.

DEATHGRIP: A FILM BY BRENDAN FAIRCLOUGH AND CLAY PORTER GOES ON WORLDWIDE DIGITAL RELEASE ON 30 MAY 2017 VIA ITUNES

T R OY L E E

‘MAN, WHERE DO I START?’ T H E L E G E N D H I M S E L F, T R O Y L E E , R E M I N I S C E S A B O U T W H E R E I T A L L B E G A N WORDS TROY LEE PICS TROY LEE DESIGNS

It’s hard to know where to begin, but hey, here it goes. I just got back home from the Sea Otter Classic up in Monterey, California, which was, as always, an amazing event. It was extra cool this year because while I was up there I was able to ride with the GOAT, Nico Vouilloz, who I first sponsored 20 years ago. It was awesome to hit the trails with him again and be able to hammer them with seven other guys, all of us on pedal-assist e-bikes. I have to say I’m really fired up on e-bikes because they just expand your playground so much.

coming motocross guys. At that same time, mountain bike racing started going to this new level of professional downhill racing, and riders and companies were developing forks and shocks and looking into all of this new technology. But everyone was still wearing these little beanie helmets and nobody was making any full-face helmets.

Initially, the Shoei TL Comp was supposed to be a jetski helmet, but then I added a visor and put graphics on it. A year later, we built a mouth guard into it and started sponsoring Greg Herbold.

Greg wearing the helmet and winning the downhill mountain bike World Championship kind of put me on the map in the bicycle industry.

So while we were riding along, I got thinking about Nico, the entire sport of mountain biking and where Troy Lee Designs fits into the whole thing. You know, Nico was only 16 when we first met and he was just one of the kids I knew. It was the same way for me with Jeremy McGrath. Jeremy and I started out in motocross together when he was 16 and he went to the pinnacle of the sport and won seven supercross championships. I hadn’t ridden with Nico in 15 years, and while we were riding, for some reason we started talking about the Shoei TL Comp 1 helmet we did back in the early 1990s.

It was a good helmet too – the TL Comp was super-durable.

When it came out, all of a sudden the speeds started doubling at these downhill races. The downhill mountain bike guys were starting to go the same speed as the motocross guys, and all the things we were doing in motocross just kind of fell into place in the mountain bike world. At Mammoth Mountain in 1993 the guys were going 60-plus miles an hour, so this demand for knee guards, elbow guards and more head and body protection and even aerodynamics started to build. Even way back then, safety was my priority because these riders were all my friends and family.

NEW LEVELS During the early 90s, when I started thinking about mountain bike helmets, I was still racing motorcycles on and off and running to the track and painting the helmets of all the up-and-

“During the early 90s, when I started thinking about mountain bike helmets, I was still racing motorcycles on and off and running to the track and painting the helmets of all the up-and-coming motocross guys”

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TOP LEFT: Me racing the Sea otter ebike race this year, super fun, but I was wasted at the finish!

TOP RIGHT: My buddy Mcgrath in 2000, always fun painting his helmets, still painting them today!

BOTTOM: Thats me with my nephews painting back in 93’, Tyler and Ryan Keefe. Their dad Bill Keefe is our operations manager is married to my sister and today Tyler runs our motocross team, family business for sure!

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TOP LEFT: I got to race a legends invitational in Japan, 2001, super fun race and good Sake at the finish!

TOP RIGHT: 1992 Shannon Churchill in the TL Comp helmet, Shannon works at TLD today in Intl Sales MIDDLE RIGHT: The famous TLD yellow school bus 1993, a lot of partying in that thing at the early MTB races, it ran on propane too!

BOTTOM: Early shot of the TLD Crew, Me in the Yeti jersey, 1992

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I started riding mountain bikes with my friends and then John Parker from Yeti Cycles brought me in and we started sponsoring their race team and the motocross and the bicycle stuff just started overlapping on all the products we were working on.

Around 1995 we took the TL Comp helmet and turned it into the Troy Lee Designs Daytona. It was our first full-face helmet and it was all carbon.

of TLD helmets are iconic – there is a heritage there – so we have to keep on outdoing ourselves.

GAME OF TWO HALVES Our business is probably now half motocross and half bicycle, which is just amazing. They’re both sports I love and sports I started out on the ground floor in. We really have a lot going on right now. We just launched a new A2 helmet and have a couple of others in development. We’re now offering more protection than ever and really focusing on the safety side of things.

When we got it done I said, “You know what? I’m now going to make a mountain bike glove and a full-face carbon helmet.

It’s going to be a $350 helmet and probably the most expensive bicycle helmet on the planet.” When I said that, my accountant quit, saying I’d I’ll never sell any. So then we signed Nico, who was turning the mountain bike world on its ear, and also started working with Shaun Palmer in snow and eventually mountain biking.

Our motocross team is doing really well. We just signed another three-year deal with Factory KTM and Red Bull and we’re super stoked. We just got done getting our first one-two team finish ever in supercross at Salt Lake City and we’re proud of that moment.

Our own SRAM/TLD Racing team is just a baby, three years old, but working with a partner like that has been awesome. We have a vision to grow this team into something big like the moto team – we just launched the collab SRAM/TLD Racing gear and helmets.

It was so cool to see all of that on people at the Sea Otter.

SERIOUS CREDENTIALS Some serious racers started showing up at the races in the Daytona helmet – it was safer than anything anyone had seen and it looked badass. While we were doing this, the bicycle market was developing these super-light helmets, some of which didn’t even have plastic on them.

The same type of attitudes come out of the mountain bikers and motocrossers so they’re really fun to work with. They all have that go-for-broke, ‘I’m here to win and live every day like there is no tomorrow’ attitude. It’s an attitude I love. Man, that’s what we’re all about. We have to make sure we’re having fun every single day, so go play hard. Work hard and play hard, you know?

I’d be on the starting line at a downhill race when I first got into it back then and I’d look around and think, ‘Man, the helmets here are going the wrong direction… while these bikes are going an entirely different direction.’ The bikes just got faster and dual slalom and downhill racing grew like crazy and we went to every race we could to understand what the consumer needed and came back and started doing a lot of hand building.

THROUGH THE PAIN This really hit me coming back from the Sea Otter, watching guys like our rider Mitch Ropelato win the dual slalom. He crashed so hard in practice, damaged his shoulder, went on to be the fastest qualifier and won all of his heats and just destroyed the field and won. Cracking a beer at the finish to soothe the pain of his epic crash earlier in the day just made me think about the MTB riders and MX riders – so similar, I love it.

I started bouncing back and forth quite a bit between motocross and mountain bike at that point. There was a little bit of motocross and a little bit of mountain bike in everything we were doing. We started making jerseys and I also started sponsoring more motocross guys where we would outfit them head to toe in motocross gear. That was my new plan: to outfit bicycle guys head to toe and motorcycle guys head to toe. In 2000 we put our first little motocross team together with Steve Lamson. Steve was a former champion and we had Troy Lee Designs gear on him. He also had Energy sponsorship on him, which was the energy drink that ultimately became Monster Energy.

I just brought some new investors into my company six months ago. I’m really fired up. We’ve expanded my design team here and we’re focusing on so many new projects. I just want to take our company to the next level. All of us here have kind of taken it to a certain level, but I think we’re all fired up to move beyond that.

Safety remains my priority, because most of the athletes that we work with remain close friends of mine. Nothing is getting slower in our world – everything is getting faster – so these guys need more protection and comfort all the way around their bodies. My kids are racing and my family races and it’s what I live for. I don’t want to stop them. I’m ready to charge for another 10 years here.

The mountain bike helmets kept right on evolving. It went from the Daytona to the D2 to the D3 over the years. As a matter of fact, we now have a new helmet on the drawing board, which will, once again, be, state-of-the-art. It’s our new D4 – it’s still a little ways out, but we’re working hard on it. The D-series

“Safety remains my priority, because most of the athletes that we work with remain close friends of mine. Nothing is getting slower in our world – everything is getting faster – so these guys need more protection and comfort all the way around their bodies”

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100 YEARS OF SILCA

T HE SILC A STORY: TR ACIN G 1 00 Y E A R S OF E XQU ISITE IN N OVAT I O N WITH CYCL IN G’ S M OST SOU GHT-A FTE R TOOL BR AND WORDS OLI WOODMAN PICTURES JOBY SESSIONS

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100 YEARS OF SILCA

OR A COMPANY TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS IS A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT, THAT’S A GIVEN. YET FOR THE SAME COMPANY TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE ON THE PRINCIPLES IT WAS FOUNDED ON SO LONG AGO, THAT’S TRULY SPECIAL. It’s an achievement worth celebrating then for Silca, the Italian company that has dedicated a century to the toolmaking trade, making what are unquestionably the most luxurious tools in the world of cycling.

The company’s story started way back in 1917, when a young Feliche Sacchi established it in an area just outside Milan.

Quickly gaining a reputation for innovation, Silca was the first manufacturer to put gauges on tyre pumps and also the first to produce a high-pressure frame-fit pump, the sort we still recognise today.

Still known predominantly for its pumps, Silca has since expanded its workmanship to many more impeccably made tools. Impressively, the firm has along the way managed to maintain the desirability and quality its products were always renowned for – and has laid down a series of milestones that are well worth revisiting.

Pista the action Perhaps the most iconic product to come from Silca is its legendary Pista track pump. Arriving in the early 1950s, it was created to outperform and outlast the competition. In order to achieve this, Silca used the best materials it could lay its hands on, in a design that would ensure each Pista remained serviceable for decades after its manufacture. It also won in the desirability stakes and quickly proved itself as the faithful partner to many shop and team mechanics.

Its barrel used tubing from fellow Milan manufacturer Columbus, while the leather washers found inside were vastly superior to the rubber parts used by other manufacturers. The Pista held a gauge that maxed out at a dizzy 210psi, something made possible only by the quality of the components involved.

Design refinements saw the Pista switch from its signature wooden handle to a plastic item following the Second World War, something that was cutting-edge at the time. Later the wooden handle returned (in a move that was not without its irony).

Even today, many original Pista pumps are reliably performing the task they were built to endure several decades before. In truth, many of those pumps will be better sealed, more efficient and accurate than ever thanks to Silca’s commitment to provide continually improved spares for its classic products. The new parts are reverse-compatible with Silca pumps dating back to 1946, and yet perform better and last longer than the originals.

Josh Poertner, formerly of Zipp, took over the Silca brand from Claudio Sacchi in 2013, putting him in charge of an array of cycling’s most desirable tools

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While the company is committed to supporting its own products as much as possible, as Silca’s current owner Josh Poertner explains: “We can’t make everything, but we try hard to make the key wear parts for all the old pumps and plan to do so until the new tooling wears out – which could be another 50 years!”

It is believed that up to half a million Pista pumps were produced in a production run that ran for over four decades. In fact, it wasn’t until the 90s that the competition had truly caught up with the Pista, but by the time they had, the Italians were once again ahead – thanks to the 1989 introduction of the SuperPista pump.

This larger, more efficient pump was just what the market demanded, providing the same reliable inflation with far fewer strokes. Its popularity soon made it a common sight in bike shops and throughout the professional peloton.

Challenging times Italy’s troubled economic climate brought significant challenges including price hikes in the raw materials required to build Silca pumps. This, combined with the country’s move to the Euro currency soon drove prices to a level that nobody had planned.

Facing pressures outside of his control, Silca founder Feliche Sacchi then developed terminal cancer and eventually passed away following a three-year battle with the disease.

Silca remained under the ownership of the Sacchi family through to 2013, making it the oldest family-owned firm within the bicycle industry. The next chapter of the Silca story began that year when Claudio Sacchi, grandson to Felice, sold the company to Josh Poertner. Formerly the technical director at Zipp Speed Weaponry, Poertner had fallen in love with the Silca brand since buying one of its pumps back in 1990.

He turned out to be the perfect man to continue the Silca legacy, and his vision to rebuild the brand as a market leader in its category was well and truly underway. Within months of the sale he’d relocated the company’s headquarters to Indianapolis, USA. Close to many big players in the motorsport industry, Silca has since called on the expertise of vendors and machinists in this field to produce many of the components for its tools.

Combining new technologies, manufacturing methods and processes with the traditional ideas that made people love Silca was key to moving forwards – and it wasn’t long before this thinking came to fruition.

100 YEARS OF SILCA

WE TRUST OUR PUMPS TO DETERMINE THE FEEL OF OUR BIKES – THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY ADJUST THE HANDLING OF A BIKE IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER TOOL CAN

No compromises In 2014 the Silca SuperPista Ultimate was launched and, as the name suggests, this was a zero-compromise attempt to produce the world’s best track pump. Its $450 price tag hints at the effort involved in making it what it is, but it’s the details that truly speak for themselves.

The SuperPista Ultimate’s handle alone is a work of art. Handturned from rosewood, it’s adorned in cast stainless steel with a design that pays homage to classic frame lugs and Japanese kitchen knives. It’s also a design that Silca confidently states as being the most ergonomically refined of any on the market.

Take the vacuum-cast zinc base, which itself weighs as much as many track pumps alone yet is only 5mm thick. It sits on three elastomer feet, of the type that you’d normally find on high-end furniture.

Then there’s the stainless steel body with its precision 2.5mm walls, at the bottom of which you’ll find a gauge that’s closer to a chronograph than a regular item. Its precision means an accuracy window of just 1% – even at a sky high 160psi reading.

That’s five times the accuracy that you can expect from the industry standard.

It’s precision such as this that can be the difference between a race win or personal best, and it’s the repeatability and outright reliability of such a component that will do it time and again. We trust our pumps to determine the feel of our bikes; they have the ability to significantly adjust the handling of a bike in a way that no other tool can.

Remaking a legend The SuperPista Ultimate remains the most exquisite pump on the market, yet its price point means it is out of touch for everyone but the most affluent or single-minded. A more affordable but still boutique option was to follow in the form of a remake of Silca’s legendary SuperPista.

Launching in 2016, the new SuperPista took elements of the 1989 tool that brought Silca so much success. Its all-alloy design also took many cues from its Ultimate brother yet critically came in at a little over half the retail price.

Today, Silca’s range features the aforementioned pumps along with numerous mobile inflators, hand tools and other accessories.

Its most recent success has been the Seat Roll Premio, which set out to recreate the compact seat rolls of the 70s – the sort that were held in place using a toe strap.

Poertner inspects some of Silca’s wares (top); the brand’s pumps have continued to set new standards throughout its 100-year existence (bottom)

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The Premio seat roll set out to use the modern equivalent of the toe strap – the Boa retention system – in a design that breathed life into a product that had fallen out of favour. It’s an immensely stylish little tool, with stitching so intricate that it takes as long to sew one as it does to make an entire shoe. Since its introduction in 2016, the Premio seat roll attracted glowing reviews throughout the press, while demand for the product has nearly always overtaken Silca’s ability to supply it ever since.

Another hugely popular product in the current range, and one that also harks back to further innovation in Silca’s exceptional history is the EOLO III CO2 regulator – for it was Silca that developed the first regulated CO2 inflator back in 1982. The EOLO allowed riders the regulative control necessary to make gas inflation feasible for roadside use for the first time.

The third generation EOLO builds on this traditional tool with a design that is the smallest of its kind. In line with Silca’s standards on longevity, the EOLO III uses no plastic parts while its three insulating rings (that hold Italy’s national colours) protect its user from the cold during inflation.

The long game Today’s shifting cultural values combined with the pressures and complications from offshore competitors mean that the current marketplace is tough for a brand like Silca, yet Poertner reckons it’s only a matter of time before things move back in its favour.

“It is our strong belief that once people get back to using solid and reliable tools, they won’t revert back to the cheap stuff,” he says.

“Doing a job with fine tools is faster, more accurate and less likely to cause harm – in the long term, it’s less expensive and more enjoyable. Now we just have to re-teach people this fact!”

Although currently not widely acknowledged for doing so, Silca continues to innovate just like it did more than a century ago, and Poertner’s interpretation of Silca’s future remains clear. “It is our vision that working on and with your bike should be as pleasurable as riding it,” he says. “We want to bring the Zen of bike maintenance to the people, and to do that, you need highquality, ergonomic tools designed with passion and care – the kind of tools that make people want to work on their bikes; make them want to adjust their tyre pressure, and so on.”

Silca sees its products as “having the ability to deepen your passion for the ride as well as the entire experience that surrounds it,” he concludes.

Here’s to another hundred years.

AN INTENSE FUTURE

INTENSE FACTORY RACING, THEN AND NOW - PART2: NOW I N T E N S E C YC L E S ’ F O U N D E R W R A P S U P H I S L O O K AT T H E T WO DECADE RACING HISTORY OF HIS IC ONIC BRAND BY CASTING AN EYE OVER THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE TEAM WORDS JEFF STEBER PICS NATHAN HUGHES

“We looked back to the past to better visualise our future. We evaluated everything and once again, have found our roots. This year, we are throwing gasoline on the fire.” That’s how we left off last time… with our promise to fuel the flame. In the old days, this was easy – the Intense M1 was so ahead of its time that many of the other teams raced them, removing our stickers and replacing them with theirs.

Those companies not only provided invaluable marketing for the M1; some actually commissioned us to make limited runs (slightly tweaked) for their customers. Our competition became our customers.

Those were easier times. Things have changed and the industry has caught up. There are a lot of really great bikes on the market these days, and being different and innovative is far tougher than it used to be. I’ve had to rethink everything I know, and be flexible and open-minded. To do that, it helps to have a set of fresh eyes – or a whole team of them.

When we looked back to our past, we understood that a massive component in our ability to be able to design winning bikes was our Factory Race Program. Throughout the early years, we cultivated an articulate group of bike testers who were well-versed in giving performance feedback. During the early 2000s when we were making the jump from alloy to carbon, we had to put every resource toward the shift, and cuts had to be made. The Factory Team was a casualty of growing pains.

RECLAIMING SOME SOUL

For me, if I am being honest, I always felt like we were missing a part of our soul. My whole philosophy of my company had been to make it possible for a regular enthusiast to step into a bike shop and buy a racetuned, full-suspension DH rig – same as the Intense Factory Racing pros raced. Except now there was no Factory Racing team. We kept some smaller schemes running, and our Spanish distributor, KP Sport, kept the dream alive (and our foot in the door) with its GoPro/Intense race team, which was managed by Ivan

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AN INTENSE FUTURE

Jimenez (now IJ Racing) and featured longtime DH pro, Bernat Guardia (who now manages IFR). It was a good team and we accomplished a lot developing the M16 Carbon directly with them. When we looked to our past, and glimpsed our future, we knew we needed to bring back IFR in full-force. It was time.

Building the concept of the reinvented IFR, we felt it was really important to focus on our American, motoinfluenced California heritage. We decided the things that made us special back then are the same ones that make us special now. Like in the early days, we teamed up with Troy Lee Designs, one of the sponsors of the first IFR programmes. We also wanted to work with American brands as much as possible. Enve Components came on board, along with SRAM/RockShox, Maxxis and Von Zipper.

The roster was mostly a no-brainer. American junior Nik Nestoroff had been on Intense for two years, having started out as a protege on the Palmer Project, and was looking at his second season as a junior racer. Jack Moir and Dean Lucas, both Australian, both full of potential and with a handful of top-15 results in the bag were also back on board, no question. We were ready to close the books when young American, Charlie Harrison caught our attention when he came from nowhere to take two 14th place finishes (World Champs and Andorra) last year. We signed him as quickly as possible.

Next priority was to solidify the support crew. The departure of our technical director, Ivan Jimenez, to start his own programme left us with a gaping hole. We looked inward and the solution was obvious. Running our demo/field marketing programme for Intense Cycles HQ was Chappy Fiene. Chappy is a former motocross racer, incredible MTB rider (who is often featured in our promotional videos and photo shoots), and well-versed in being handy in a pinch with a grinder and a drill – which came in extremely useful when setting up the new pit for the first time this week in Lourdes. He understands racing and bikes, and is an amazing mechanic. It seemed obvious he was right for the job. We approached him with the opportunity and were thrilled when he accepted. Chappy works with Ernest Adelid (AKA Ern-Dawg) on all things mechanical for the team.

In these days of technology and instant information, the team also needed someone focused on providing timely web content to team sponsors and Intense’s international partners (like Saddleback). My wife Jenn Gabrielli, who works as marketing director at Intense, agreed to hit the road for the summer and took the role as ‘communications manager’ – but truth be told, she spends a lot of her days in the grocery store and preparing what Jack calls “dank eats” for the team and crew. The ‘communications’ part of the role happens after everyone is fed and the pit is clean. It is evident though after the first event at Crankworx Roturua that IFR is back in the mix with amazing photos and coverage on a daily basis from the media.

CARRY ON CAMPING

With the crew intact and the roster finalised, it was time to plan team camp. We all feel strongly that getting everyone together for a month near our HQ in Temecula is an important time to work out kinks, test products, initiate newcomers and have some fun.

We rented a house in my neighborhood and bought plane tickets for the lot. We also imported one of our favourite Brits and snappers, Nathan Hughes, who the team has retained as official photographer. He was quickly adopted by the team and is now family, whether he likes it or not.

“GETTING EVERYONE TOGETHER FOR A MONTH NEAR OUR HQ IN TEMECULA IS AN IMPORTANT TIME TO WORK OUT KINKS, TEST PRODUCTS, INITIATE NEWCOMERS AND HAVE SOME FUN”

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AN INTENSE FUTURE

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Team camp was held last January, and part of the camp ritual is team bonding (this usually happens in conjunction with filming the team launch video). This year, we chose skydiving. All the team except for Nik jumped out of a plane – he was too young as minimum age to skydive in California is 18 – so we dropped him off at a Chuck E Cheese (a famous restaurant for kids). We recently asked the boys what their favorite highlight of team camp was this year. Here are their answers: DEAN LUCAS “Nathan” JACK MOIR “Too many good things happening at once…

Jeff ’s FART machine” [He is referring to a night when I got out my remote control fart-machine, always a crowd-pleaser, farts are funny, and hid it under Chuck’s chair… good times.]

NIK NESTOROFF “The house” [The house was pretty nice] CHARLIE HARRISON “Supercross” [All the boys went to Supercross in San Diego, which is an hour

from Temecula.]

In addition to all the fun, we found some time to get down to business during camp, build some trails, do lots of testing, R&D and working out of kinks. This year, we sat down with our creative team and drew up plans for the new IFR team pits. The result was a massive two-storey structure that takes four people more than half the day to assemble, and is worth every minute. Steering away from the subdued grey tents with subtle logos from last year, the new tent is bold and loud – bright colours and huge logos. Gasoline!

We met with TLD also during Camp and got a peek at the 2017 line long before it was released. We were able to plan our bike colour and graphics in conjunction with the new TLD gear. You won’t have to look hard to spot an IFR rider. The bold shades on both the bikes and kits are a dead giveaway. It’s a visual thing that creates an instant emotional response with the spectator.

MORE GASOLINE

Earlier, I mentioned innovation and design. Jack Moir has been riding and testing the new/upcoming Carbine throughout last winter, and is currently in fourth overall in the EWS series riding the Carbine.

I won’t say more now, but the team has also been involved in testing another new bike, which Jack and Dean plan to ride/race in Fort William. I’m really excited about this aspect of the programme and where we are going from an R&D perspective. Just like in the early years of Intense, this innovation through racing is the fuel for our fire.

So our look back is already manifesting a new future. We are off to an incredible start of the season with IFR, and some pretty good new bikes as well. Stay tuned to see what happens next. Whatever it is, you can bet it won’t happen quietly. It’s gonna get hot…

“I’M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE GOING FROM AN R&D PERSPECTIVE. INNOVATION THROUGH RACING IS THE FUEL FOR OUR FIRE”

DA N N Y H A R T

DANNY AND THE RAPTOR AT THE START OF 2016, DANNY HART CHANGED HIS TRAINING REGIME. IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT HIS DECISION PAID OFF WORDS RIC MCLAUGHLIN PICTURES JOBY SESSIONS

“IT’LL DO 15 MILES TO THE GALLON, WHICH ISN’T TOO BAD,” DANNY HART SAYS OF HIS LATEST TOY, A FORD F-150 RAPTOR PICKUP TRUCK. IT’S A VAST THING. ONE BY ONE, OFFICE WORKERS HAVE BASHFULLY TIPTOED OVER TO IT, SEEMINGLY IN AWE OF ITS DEEPLY LOUVRED BONNET, HUGE WHEELS AND GARGANTUAN GRILLE.

Said grille is set so far in front of the driver that a tiny camera is embedded within it to assist with parking… or with driving over smaller, lesser vehicles. Chunks of earth still hang from the inside of the tunnel-like wheel arches from an earlier offroad excursion.

It’s an appropriate reminder, given that Hart’s been making off-road history of late. Aaron Gwin might have taken the 2016 UCI World Cup overall title, but in many ways it didn’t feel like it. Hart won

his first-ever UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide, halfway through the season, and then simply couldn’t stop winning. Two more victories rounded out the season before a second UCI World Championship title was hewn from the rock and root of Val di Sole.

RARE BREED

“I think I rode at my best in Lenzerheide and Mont Sainte-Anne,” Hart recalls. “I beat everyone fair and square, on their best day.

“Andorra, there’s a bit of a question mark over as it rained,” he goes on. “But I did come down in the rain – it wasn’t as hard as it was for others, but I’d had a difficult weekend. I’d not qualified well and there was a lot of pressure.

“In Mont Sainte-Anne I came down and knew that I’d ridden well – Aaron came down and didn’t

Danny Hart leans on the hefty flank of his Ford Raptor pickup as he reminisces to Ric McLaughlin about UCI World Championship glory

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have it,” Hart says. “And Lenzerheide was the same – I was strong at the bottom and ended up taking the win.”

While Ford Raptors may be rare things, double world champions are a rarer breed still. Hart’s win in Italy, on a hillside famed for forging legends, secured his place in history. “Val di Sol was the cherry on top really,” he shrugs, and a smile creeps across his face.

“I’d just won three World Cups, I’d nothing to prove really, I could just go there and enjoy it,” he says.

“It showed in the results too as I was fastest all weekend. Aaron got a flat – I don’t know if he had it that day, I don’t think he did anyway.”

POWER UP

Long before collecting his second set of rainbow stripes however, deep in the depths of the British

DA N N Y H A R T

Going into the 2017 season, Danny Hart has made fresh tweaks to his training regime, with the addition of Stages power meters. Hart says he loves the Stages system’s simplicity

“WHEN YOU’RE PRACTISING, YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW HOW HARD YOU’RE TRYING. WHEN I’VE GOT THE STAGES ON, IT MAKES ME PEDAL LIKE I’M RACING, NOT JUST PRACTISING” winter, Hart had changed his approach to training.

Diet and bike time were both adjusted and heading into the 2017 season, he’s started working with Stages power meters.

“It’s been really helpful,” he says. “When you’re practising, you always think you’re trying hard but you don’t really know how hard. When I’ve got the Stages on, it makes me pedal like I’m racing, not just practising.”

Hart says he only has his Stages on his downhill bike. “It’s interesting to see what power you’re putting out on a DH bike compared with the static bike in the garage.”

He loves the simplicity of the setup too, he adds, admitting he was a little taken aback that a left crank is all that’s required.

“It’s surprised me a bit and made me realise how little I actually pedal – which then makes you realise that when you do it has to be really good, it has to count,” Hart says. “On the app that I have that shows the results, there may only be, say, six spikes in the cadence thing over four minutes.

That’s very little.” The general state of play when it comes to the severity and technicality of UCI World Cup tracks is widely debated, with the common consensus being that they are moving

away from the skill sets of riders like Hart. Pedalling is now paramount.

“You definitely have tracks now where it’s important, like Cairns and Fort William. It’s good to have done the work with the power meter – it makes you push on.”

WINNING PRESSURES

It had been a couple of seasons since the sport had seen a rider click with winning the way Hart did in 2016 and then go and put a run of results together.

Perhaps the most memorable in recent history was Stevie Smith’s hat-trick of wins on his march to the 2013 title. But in a sport demanding of such striking mental and physical strength, winning can come with its own pressures.

“It gets to the stage where the chances of winning start to go down and it’s hard,” Hart says of his streak. “I’ve always said that you can’t win them all but I was! I was happy for it to end as no one had beaten me, but it’ll be hard to start again where I left off. Everyone is so fast – it’ll be tough.”

The overall UCI World Cup overall title is the target this year, he goes on. “When I watched the review of last season back at the end of the year, there were points when I was over 200 points down! To then be 29 points off winning the overall…” he tails off.

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Hindsight is of course a beautiful thing. “Like, if I hadn’t done this, hadn’t done that. I crashed in Lourdes, I crashed in Fort William, didn’t get any points – that could have been...” he pauses. “But you can’t say that.”

AVOIDING THE ONE CLUB

Another historical trend that must have loomed large in Hart’s mind’s eye was the One Club, the long list of riders to have notched a single top-flight win. There are some big names on the list and he was keen not to be among them.

“It was a big relief to get off one win as there are a lot of good riders who have won one World Cup race,” he says. “When I won World Champs in 2011, I was having a good season all the way up to that, that was just going to happen. In 2012 I was doing well again, getting podiums and then I hurt myself.

The next couple of years I was putting myself up there weekend in, weekend out and I believe that when you do that it will eventually pay off.”

It’s time to wrap up. The Raptor’s 6.2-litre V8 burbles into life and thuds menacingly at tick-over, its heft supported – in a happy coincidence – by high-performance Fox Racing Shox, one of Hart’s main sponsors. It’s a big red reminder of just how well the work he’s put in is paying off – and 2017 would seem to be his for the taking.

TEAM SKY COVER

TE AM

S KY

COVER

ISSUE 23’S TEAM SKY COVER HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT AND REWARDING SO FAR. HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED… WORDS TOM BALLARD PICTURES NICK COX

With the news of Team Sky joining forces with Castelli making us all a little giddy in the Saddleback office, the urge to commemorate the partnership with a spectacular incycle cover was hard to resist – so we didn’t.

While three rows of three cyclists might seem like an easy image to conjure from the creative ether, actually creating the design took a lot of legwork.

“Cutting the image of each rider from their background was a really painstaking process,” says Ben. “You have to do it just right or it doesn’t look real – the dark backgrounds made the hair really tricky, but you’ve got to just take the time and make it perfect because it’s Team Sky we’re talking about and we wanted them to be really happy with it.”

“The thing I loved about creating the recent Troy Lee Designs cover was that it allowed us to take a different angle on the magazine cover,” says Saddleback head of creative, Nick Cox. “It was something not regularly seen, especially in the cycling press, so I wanted to repeat that sense of difference with Team Sky and had just the idea how.

“Even once we’d cut them out, we had to contend with the alignment issue,” adds Nick. “All the riders are different heights and you’ve got to make it look right. In the end, we chose to align the riders’ eyes, except for Froome – we wanted him to stand out as the team leader.”

“Back in 2009, I was given a special Crankworx edition of Decline magazine that had a lenticular cover. As I turned the magazine in my hands, the rider pictured on the cover launched into the air off a massive jump. I was entranced by the physical engagement of the design. It was so far from the throwaway, flick-past covers you normally see.

Once the creative crew were happy with the designs, there was the anxious wait for the cover proof from Hive Associates.

“So creating my own lenticular cover with that unique sense of excitement is something I’ve wanted to do for years. And now, with the support of Castelli, I’ve finally had the opportunity to make it happen.’

“I was really hoping it would live up to the expectations I’d created in my mind and wasn’t disappointed,” says Nick. “It was absolutely spot-on and the guys over in Italy loved it too – even if it was a bit hard to show them over Skype! That made us confident to send it up to Manchester for Team Sky approval.”

Nick and fellow creative colleague Ben Powell set about finding a company that would do the format, Castelli and Team Sky justice.

This tall order was met by Hive Associates in London, whose previous projects include video game packaging and the recent lenticular Star Wars Episode VII cover for Empire magazine.

“We’d put so much into it that we were more excited than nervous about their response, but it was really satisfying to hear how much they liked it,” says Ben. “Especially given the hours of work it took to get it dialled in. You look at the finished product and it’s not your everyday cover – it’s something tangible and special.”

“We were really impressed by their use of the format,” says Ben. “The technology has come a long way. You can create a really striking design that’s also pin-sharp, which is exactly what we needed to reflect Team Sky’s high-end look.”

“The feedback has been amazing, especially from Team Sky,” says Nick. “You think they’d be used to all the attention, but they seemed genuinely impressed by the job we’d done and even did an Instagram story of it. We were thrilled to hear they loved it.

After batting around a few different concepts, Nick and Ben hit upon an idea that would use the format to showcase the Team Sky riders and the Castelli connection.

“It just proves that sticking to your original vision can pay off.

Sometimes with a tough design, you just have to say, ‘enough is enough’ and realise it’s not meant to be. But I was so confident in the idea Ben and I had come up with that I wanted to fight for it – I just wasn’t going to let it fail. It was a real labour of love and definitely one of the covers I’m most proud of to date.”

“There were loads of shots of the riders and we wanted to include as many as possible – I mean it’s such a strong team!” says Ben. “With there being three angles to the lenticular, we decided on a three-by-three design showcasing nine of the team’s best riders – which just happened to be the same number who’d be taking on the Tour this summer.”

“We discussed the idea with Team Sky and the response was very positive,” says Nick, “so it was full steam ahead after then to make the magazine’s print deadline.”

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‘CREATING MY OWN LENTICULAR COVER WITH THAT UNIQUE SENSE OF EXCITEMENT IS SOMETHING I’VE WANTED TO DO FOR YEARS”NICK COX

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MEDIA COVERAGE

MEDIA COVERAGE HERE’S A QUICK ROUNDUP OF SOME OF THE PUBLICATIONS OUR PRODUCTS HAVE APPEARED IN OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS

SINGLETRACK 112

BIKES ETC 33

PROCYCLING 227 BIKES ETC 33

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MEDIA COVERAGE

MBR MAY

MOUNTAIN BIKING UK 340

MOUNTAIN BIKING UK 336

CYCLING PLUS 325

PROCYCLING 227 SINGLETRACK 110

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TEN QUESTIONS

A M Y S H E PA R D

WHO IS AMY SHEPARD?

I’m a sarcastic, know-it-all, bike nerd who managed to find myself in the perfect role developing and managing the Knowledge Base at Stages Cycling. I soak up information like a sponge, so it fits me well. I’m also a lover of animals (have to pet every dog), am addicted to vegan snacks and treats, and am an extremely picky consumer of music and beer.

HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY INTO THE BIKE INDUSTRY?

I started working part time at a small shop doing odds and ends. I’d just started racing and the job market was tough at the time, so it made sense as a means to support my new bike habit. I switched over to a bigger shop and a more full time gig for a few years before being hired at Stages to work in customer service.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A RIDER?

I like to think of myself as a rouleur when I’m fantasising on the road, but I like everything too much to really specialise. I came into racing via the track, so track racing and crits have always been my speciality, but lately I can’t get enough mountain biking in – just have a lot of skills to catch up on after years of mostly riding skinny tyres.

WHAT’S YOUR PROUDEST CYCLING MOMENT?

Anytime I ride something I walked last time.

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD TO RIDE AND WHY?

I have not yet ridden most of the places I’d like to see, but after a few years in Colorado, I miss the damp, lush, green forest in the Pacific NW a lot – luckily it’s close enough that I can still visit pretty regularly.

WHAT’S THE SCARIEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU ON A BIKE?

Pretty much any time I’ve crashed in front of a bunch of people. Hurting myself and others is a big fear of mine. Luckily, both times this has happened, the other parties were in better shape than I was.

WHO’S YOUR CYCLING HERO/HEROINE?

I’ve got a lot, hard to pick just one. Right now I really admire Amanda Batty for her relentless fight against sexism within the bike industry. It takes a lot of energy to never let down the fight and watching her continuous energy inspires me to not be ambivalent or turn a blind eye to indiscretion within my own industry.

WHAT CAN YOU DO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE YOU KNOW?

I’m strangely good at finding mistakes, which plays closely into my job role, but my secondary work skill is my ability to create Microsoft Paint ‘artwork’. I like to make people laugh and am very good at cut and pasting together funny (and poor quality) collages to keep everyone laughing at work. We deal with a fairly serious crowd in the power meter business and now and again, everyone needs a little stress release.

WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE POST-RIDE MEAL?

I’m usually craving something different each time, but if I have to pick anything, a huge burrito and a beer. I can’t imagine living anywhere in the world that doesn’t have easy access to burritos.

WHEN YOU’RE NOT ON YOUR BIKE, WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO BE?

I like to go to new places whenever I can, so even if I am spending time off the bike, I try to look up a new trail or park to visit and the options are pretty endless in Colorado. Bikes are not allowed in wilderness areas in the US, so last year when I took some time off riding, I made it up to several mountain peaks that are only accessible on foot and really enjoyed the amazing scenery and views that I wouldn’t have been able to see on the bike.

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S TA F F R I D E S

S TA F F R I D E NICK COX, SADDLEBACK HEAD OF CREATIVE’S INTENSE TRACER EXPERT

I’ve always been a sucker for a long-travel trail bike, dating back to the glory days when freeride was the latest craze. It all started with my 2006 Santa Cruz Bullit, which, looking back, was way too much bike for me, with a bottom bracket so high you’d get a nosebleed riding it. Once the blood was wiped away though it was super fun, and from that springboard began my love of ‘big bikes’.

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to own and test many different iterations of this style of ride, including models from Orange, Santa Cruz, Lapierre, Commencal and GT. Some seemed really good at the time, all would be put in the shade by modern machines. With technology moving fast, ‘big bikes’ weigh less, work better, are longer, climb better and are lower (no more nosebleeds).

All of this attracted me to the newest bike to land from Intense, the Tracer. It’s a bike that’s helped Intense rediscover the pedigree and heritage that made the brand so iconic back when I would watch Chainsmoke 2, on VHS, at least daily, and there’s a wide range of builds and some competitive pricing on offer.

The Tracer seems unlikely to disappoint. I opted for the Expert build, which at £5,200 is good value for money with its combo of new RockShox Lyrik fork,

Monarch Plus, XT drivetrain and Stan’s Flow wheelset. Obviously working here at Saddleback has its perks, so a little extra sprinkle of Chris King and Enve ensures that this weapon is ready to take my riding to the next level.

I spent a happy day setting up the bike to get the shock and fork to where I felt comfortable. That said, there wasn’t too much fettling required as the JS Tuned shock and linkage was pretty much on the money from the get-go.

At the time of writing I have only ventured out on it once but from the outset it felt confident, a point-and-shoot ride that eats up whatever you put in front of it. It has the qualities of a tank but at 30lbs/13.6kg it climbs like a whippet while still providing big-hit reassurance and, most importantly, a real sense of fun.

I now need to put a lot more miles/climbs/decends/crashes through this bike to really appreciate what I’ve got – but things are looking good. I’ll keep reporting back on how it’s going, so be sure to read the next incycle to see if I’m still smiling (something tells me I will be).

The future’s bright, the future’s green and yellow.

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S TA F F R I D E S

FRAME INTENSE TRACER EXPERT (LARGE) HEADSET CHRIS KING INSET 7 BOTTOM BRACKET SHIMANO XT HANDLEBARS ENVE DH CUT TO 780MM STEM ENVE 40MM WHEELS/HUBS STANS FLOW S1 / STANS FORKS ROCKSHOX LYRIC RC 160MM SOLO AIR SADDLE WTB SILVERADO RACE BRAKES SHIMANO XT DRIVETRAIN SHIMANO XT PEDALS NUKEPROOF HORIZON PRO TYRES WTB VIGILANTE 2.3 GRIPS RENTHAL ULTRA TACKY

HELMET TROY LEE D3 MIDNIGHT CARBON GOGGLES OAKLEY CROWBAR JERSEY TROY LEE SPRINT 50/50 BLACK PANTS TROY LEE SPRINT BLACK GLOVES TROY LEE AIR BLACK SHOES FIVE TEN SAM HILL IMPACT

105

I N S TA G R A M S

@ A LC H E M Y B I C YC L E S

@ARUNDELBIKE

@ A S T U T E I TA L I A

@ C A S T E L L I C YC L I N G

@CHRISKINGBUZZ

@ENVECOMPOSITES

@ I N T E N S E C YC L E S

@ROTORBIKE

@SIDISPORT

@SILCA_VELO

@ S TA G E S C YC L I N G

@TLD_BIKE

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DON’T MISS

UPCOMING EVENTS

FORT WILLIAM WORLD CUP 3-4 June

TWEED LOVE INTENSE DEMO 9-11 June

DARTMOOR CLASSIC 2 July

IRONMAN 70.3 EDINBURGH 2 July

ARD ROCK 4-6 August

SODBURY SPORTIVE 13 August

EUROBIKE

30 August–2 September

ARD MOORS ENDURO 16–17 September

SADDLEBACK HOUSE SHOW 12–14 September

ROULEUR CLASSIC 2–4 November

AND MORE EVENTS COMING SOON…

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D I G I TA L

D I G I TA L I S S U E WHETHER YOU WANT TO READ INCYCLE ON THE GO OR FEAST ON EXTRA CONTENT, GO TO ISSUU.COM/SADDLEBACK TO READ THE LATEST AND ALL BACK ISSUES.

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FINAL THOUGHT

F I NA L T HOU G H T Mountain biking: we are babies, still in our infancy. Wheel size, wheel travel, pedal assist, bike parks, trail centres, tubeless… all things in a constant state of flux, right? But it makes sense, as we are still newborns, figuring out the world, making our first steps.

If you look at mountain biking compared with other sports, even road cycling, we are only just getting started. We are about 20 years in, in terms of serious racing and product innovation – 30 years if you look right back to the origins – so we have a lot still to learn.

Not many kids can say their grandparents “used to ride mountain bikes back in the day” – a history that exists for other sports such as football or skiing, to name just two.

Why bring this up? Because it’s an exciting time – still the age of discovery, with room for growth in this genre of cycling. With more bikes available for all types of riders and more trails to ride, one could say the future is bright.

Every time I go to a bike park or trail centre and see the number of groms out there, it is exciting to see the progression of their riding, but also the progression in the numbers of riders. We all have a duty though as we grow up: treat others with kindness on the trail – the new riders and the old ones; there is still much work to do with trail access and treating the sport with kid gloves is more paramount than ever. We should be thankful though that the equipment available to us in this ‘infancy’ stage is the best it has ever been!

Happy trails.

C RAIG ‘STIK M AN ’ GLASPELL

G LO BA L BI CYC L E MA RK ET IN G, T ROY LEE DESIGN S

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